Ping-pong brings relief to Portland Parkinson's patients
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Parkinson's patients take to the ping-pong tables on a recent Tuesday in Southeast Portland. Photo: Kale Williams/Axios
In Southeast Portland, a group of Parkinson's patients have found an unlikely ally in their battle against the disease: ping-pong paddles.
Why it matters: Table tennis is emerging as a surprising source of therapy and community for those with Parkinson's disease — boosting balance, easing tremors and creating meaningful connection.
The big picture: Ping Pong Parkinson, an international nonprofit propelling the movement, says playing can stimulate brain activity, improve motor control and sharpen reflexes in people with Parkinson's.
- Some studies suggest these benefits can spill into daily life away from the table as well.
State of play: Each Tuesday morning, about a dozen players rally at the Portland Table Tennis Club, tucked along the MAX Orange Line in the Brooklyn neighborhood.
- Guided by coaches, they serve, slam and laugh their way through fast-paced games.
What they're saying: Sharon Bergman was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2019 and has slowed down a bit since then, but she feels like a different person when she steps up to the ping-pong table.
- "When I play ping-pong, I forget I have Parkinson's," she told Axios. "It brings a lot of joy."
Phil Bernstein, who was diagnosed in 2023, said the speed of the game is what drew him in.
- "You have to move fast — deciding what kind of shot to hit, whether it's forehand or backhand," he said. "That's something that Parkinson's takes from you."
The bottom line: At Parkinson's Resources of Oregon in Beaverton, coach Rob Solomon has seen the shift firsthand.
- "Some of their tremors are incredibly sad, and then they get up to the table and their hand is just solid," he says.
- Beyond the physical, Solomon adds: "I've never seen the kind of cohesion among the players that we have here. It's because they're all doing it together."