Scott Rider advocates pickleball programmes for Parkinson's patients
Updated
Updated · The Wall Street Journal · May 1
Scott Rider advocates pickleball programmes for Parkinson's patients
4 articles · Updated · The Wall Street Journal · May 1
At South Carolina's MUSC, neurologist Vanessa Hinson and colleagues have run eight-week camps for two years, while Rider and wellness director Kevin Smuniewski created coach training.
Doctors say the sport can improve balance, agility, reaction speed, posture, larger movements and cognition, while its social nature may counter the isolation many people with Parkinson's experience.
Rider, diagnosed nearly 20 years ago, says playing three to four times a week helps his movement and motor skills, and he has enlisted paddle maker Selkirk Sport to raise awareness.
Could pickleball’s unique blend of movement and strategy become the gold standard for Parkinson’s therapy, or are its benefits replicable in other activities?
With early gut microbiome detection on the horizon, could exercise like pickleball actually delay or prevent Parkinson’s before symptoms appear?
How Pickleball Improves Motor and Cognitive Function in Parkinson’s Patients: Evidence and Program Development
Overview
In 2025, the Parkinson’s Foundation partnered with Selkirk Sport to create specialized pickleball paddles and fund research through paddle sales. Advocate Scott Rider, living with Parkinson’s, collaborates with the Medical University of South Carolina to develop a certification program for instructors, grounded in research showing that regular exercise slows quality-of-life decline in Parkinson’s patients. Pickleball offers physical, cognitive, and social benefits by improving motor skills, stimulating the brain, and reducing isolation. Adaptations in equipment, gameplay, and safety protocols ensure accessibility and minimize risks. Despite challenges like limited programs and trained instructors, ongoing efforts aim to expand access, scale tournaments, and integrate pickleball into Parkinson’s therapy worldwide.