'Movement is medicine:' Wisconsinites with Parkinson's disease use ping pong to create community, reduce symptoms

BODY: WEST ALLIS, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Every month inside Irving Elementary's gym in West Allis, people play ping pong for hours.

But they're not students.

Rather, they're all adults living with Parkinson's disease -- a neurological disorder that can impair movement, balance and coordination.

Across the country, Parkinson's affects nearly one million Americans.

In Wisconsin, that number is in the tens of thousands.

Dana Rebatzke of New Berlin was diagnosed about two years ago.

"You feel very isolated at first," Rebatzke recalled. “It feels good to know there are other people in your boat.”

When she heard about the regular ping pong games, she said she was "hooked."

“I’m all about having fun," Rebatzke said. “I like bringing my husband so that he can see how people with Parkinson’s still play, still react good, still have a good time.”

The sessions are due to a partnership between the Wisconsin Parkinson Association and the Milwaukee Table Tennis Club.

“[Ping pong] actually can slow down the progression of Parkinson’s so it’s absolutely essential when somebody is newly diagnosed," said Jill Compton, the association's director of mission impact. “Our goal is that nobody goes through this process alone so we want to make sure that we are there for people.”

John Schlegel, the club's vice president, noted that "any level can play."

“I thought it was great because you see people with various degrees of the progression of the disease, but when you watch them and see it, it’s like it disappears when they play the sport," Schlegel said. “You see smiles on their faces and everyone is enjoying themselves and it’s just a great environment to play.”

For those like Rebatzke, it's also a chance to revisit childhood.

“I grew up in a family of six kids, so we had a ping pong table in the basement so it’s good memories and it’s good exercise and it’s fun," Rebatzke said. “You’re not focused on it, you’re just going back to muscle memory of how you used to play, how you always played."

Plus, officials said the sport can also reduce Parkinson's symptoms.

“A lot of us don’t even keep score, so it’s really just about being together, having fun, and connecting," Compton said. “Everyone leaves with a smile and everyone leaves feeling pretty tired, which we want, they get a really good workout and they make new friends.”

And for those who haven't come out to play? Rebatzke said it's more than worth a try.

“I don’t feel like I have Parkinson’s when I play," Rebatzke said. “It’s like a little party.”