Many Israelis are hard at work looking into the causes of Parkinson’s disease (PD), new treatments to relieve symptoms, and technologies to manage the disease.
One Israeli, however, has focused his efforts on a mind-body approach. Alex Kerten says his gyro-kinetic program of martial arts, movement and music has helped hundreds of PD patients from Israel and abroad over the past 20 years to slow the progression and ease symptoms of this disorder of the brain’s muscle-movement control areas.
As many as 10 million people worldwide suffer the tremors, impaired balance and rigidity associated with PD, which has no cure. Drugs prescribed to lessen the symptoms often cause unpleasant side effects.
“I don’t know what is worse: Parkinson’s or the cocktail of medications people receive to treat it,” says Kerten from his Gyro-Kinetics Center in Herzliya. “They get addicted to the drugs and need medication for its side effects.”
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