Table tennis helps metro Atlantans with neurological disorders bounce back

In metro Atlanta, the game of table tennis is helping people with Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, and people who have had strokes.

Linda Bramhall was once a wallflower when it came to playing the sport.

"I just wanted to do nothing but sit on the sidelines the first few times that I came, and  I kind of gradually worked my way into playing. But it was scary at first," she said.

Bramhall now comes to the Lucky Shoals Park Community Recreation Center in Norcross twice a week for table tennis.

"Everybody's very supportive of one another. And we all play one another. We all play the children, we all play the elderly," said Bramhall.

For Bramhall, table tennis is also physical therapy. She was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease eight years ago, a neurological disorder that damages brain cells, leading to symptoms like uncontrollable movements, tremors, and balance issues.

She decided to start playing table tennis when she saw one of Nenad Bach's videos. Bach is the founder of PingPong Parkinson. He started playing on a whim with a friend and noticed a difference in his Parkinson's symptoms.

"I said, 'If it can help me, why not others?' So it was March 1, 2017, when we started, and nine years later, we are on six continents, in 36 countries,  and around 4 to 500 chapters in the world," Bach said.

One of those chapters is in Norcross and plays along with the Atlanta Table Tennis Association.

"It kind of makes me feel strong again. Not feeble or fragile. But you feel a sense of strength. Confidence, it gives you confidence, it just helps… You just generally feel overall much better," said Bramhall.

Coach Oscar Rodriguez coaches every level of player in the high-speed game.

"Five-year-old, 6-year-old girls that are quite good. They will beat you. And then we have octogenarians," said Rodriguez.

Rodriguez sees the healing across the table.

"I think this is helping with the neurons firing in the people's brains in the people that have Parkinson's,"  he said.

Doctors agree, saying sports like table tennis are beneficial for more than just Parkinson's patients. People who've suffered a stroke or have alzheimers also benefit.

"You've got a lot of evidence that has accrued that shows that it's likely that exercise slows down the progression of  these neurodegenerative conditions," said Dr. Madeleine Hackney, a research scientist with Emory School of Medicine's Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation.

Hackney works with people with Parkinson's, Alzheimers, and people who've had strokes. She encourages movement as a form of medicine and even teaches dance to help ease symptoms.

"Try to find something that's fun. Something that will engage your mind. Something that will make you feel good about yourself, something that will make you feel good throughout the day," said Hackney.

That fun keeps Bramhall bouncing back.

"Having a purpose, every week, two days a week, you know you're going to be somewhere, you're going to be doing something fun, doing something good for your health, around your friends, people that you like to be with, so there's that consistency," said Bramhall.

It's consistency that's been key to keeping her healthy.