A 65-year-old man with Parkinson’s disease set himself the incredible challenge of covering 760 km on foot to educate other patients about physical activity. Story.
Jean Morel is 65 years old and has suffered from Parkinson’s disease for 10 years. To raise awareness among people suffering from this neurodegenerative disease (i.e. it is secondary to a degeneration of certain brain cells) the benefits of physical activity, he decided to take up a major challenge: cover 760 km on foot on the way to Compostela. On April 25, he will therefore set off from Puy-en-Velay (Haute-Loire) and will have 35 days to reach Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port (Pyrénées-Atlantiques).
“There are three possibilities in these routes to Compostela: either you do them in the form of prayer, or it is for the sporting challenge, and finally you can take both. he in a Youtube video. Jean Morel has been preparing for the challenge for several years by practicing Nordic walking and cycling daily with his dog. “This neurological disease requires me to undergo physiotherapy treatment in order to treat the muscles and joints through the practice of adapted movements”. The virtues of regular physical activity are therefore very important to slow down the progression of his disease. “If I can playing sports, I’m not dead”.
Second most common neurodegenerative disease
Parkinson’s disease is the 2and most common neurodegenerative disease of the nervous system behind Alzheimer’s disease, and the second cause of motor disability in adults after stroke. It is due to the progressive degeneration of a particular class of dopamine-secreting nerve cells in the brainstem. This is located under the brain, in front of the cerebellum and above the spinal cord.
The nerve cells concerned are those which produce dopamine and which are involved in the coordination of movements. This dopamine deficit causes poor control of involuntary and automatic movements (those acquired gestures that we do without thinking). These are involved in particular in walking, arm movements and posture, but also swallowing, the functioning of the intestine, etc…
In France, more than 160,000 people are affected by this pathology. Jean Morel hopes to educate patients who will be able to join him and go a long way with him. He also launched a online kitty called “La Balade de Jean: the challenge of a parkinsonian”.
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