The people with epilepsyhave no reason to be on the sidelines in terms of sports practice. On the contrary, physical activity should be seen more as an additional string to the therapeutic bow. This was recalled by the Epilepsy France association, on the occasion of the International Epilepsy Day on Monday February 8.
Michèle Vidal is a physical activity teacher specializing in sports education for epilepsy patients at the Teppe epilepsy center, near Valence (Drôme). Her experience in the field convinced her of the anti-epileptic effect of sport on the patients she supports. “For the moment, few scientific studies have validated the benefits of sport for the epileptic patient, but in the field, we observe a real decrease in the frequency and intensity of seizures during practice,” he explains. she to AFP.
By a complex mechanism, the sport would manage in the brain to prevent the short circuits at the origin of the epileptic seizures, these discharges of abnormal nerve impulses. “There are fewer seizures, often they are less severe. And in some patients, this will improve disorders that will accompany epilepsy: anxiety disorders, depression, sleep …”, judge for his part Dr. Gilles Huberfeld, neurologist at La Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris, interviewed by Francetvinfo.
Medical advice before starting
The benefits of sport for patients would be multiple. The well-being felt would reduce stress, fear and anxiety, risk factors for epileptic seizures. But patients would gain confidence, feeling less stigmatized because of the disease.
Before starting a sport, it is advisable to seek medical advice which will guide you towards the least risky activities when you have epilepsy. Activities such as rock climbing, mountaineering and scuba diving should be avoided, for example. And more generally any practice must be supervised by a professional.
In France, epilepsy affects nearly 500,000 people.
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