{"id":42258,"date":"2022-04-24T14:45:54","date_gmt":"2022-04-24T18:45:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/?p=42258"},"modified":"2022-04-30T07:28:03","modified_gmt":"2022-04-30T11:28:03","slug":"hooks-and-jabs-utc-occupational-therapy-students-helping-fight-parkinsons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2022\/04\/hooks-and-jabs-utc-occupational-therapy-students-helping-fight-parkinsons\/","title":{"rendered":"Hooks and jabs: UTC occupational therapy students helping fight Parkinson\u2019s"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"UTC

UTC occupational therapy clinical doctoral student Grace Sanford, right, spent her spring semester capstone project working with Parkinson\u2019s fighters at Rock Steady Boxing Chattanooga. All photos by Angela Foster.<\/p><\/div>\n

Nick Honerkamp said he literally saw the writing on the wall.<\/p>\n

Honerkamp, a University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Department of Anthropology professor emeritus, retired from teaching duties in December 2019 after spending 39 years at the University. Several years before he stopped teaching, though, he was starting to see signs that something was wrong.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere were clear signals for me. I just couldn\u2019t write or read very well,\u201d he said, \u201cand I saw it in my chalk writing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t even know what Parkinson\u2019s was when I was diagnosed, and like most folks that get this disease, I tried to think of it as temporary. Believe me, I\u2019ve learned that it goes in one direction\u2014and I understand which direction it goes.\u201d<\/p>\n

*\u00a0 *\u00a0 *\u00a0 *\u00a0 *<\/p>\n

April is Parkinson\u2019s Awareness Month<\/a>, and nearly 1 million people in the U.S. and more than 10 million worldwide have the disease\u2014a neurological ailment that primarily affects dopamine-producing neurons in a specific area of the brain called the substantia nigra.<\/p>\n

While symptoms usually appear gradually over time, the progression of symptoms varies greatly from one person to the next due to the complexity of the disease.<\/p>\n

But there are groups in Chattanooga working to stem the tide, including UTC occupational therapy program members.<\/p>\n

\"UTC

UTC occupational therapy students Annadele Benson, Hayden Veronick and Grace Sanford.<\/p><\/div>\n

Erin Melhorn, an assistant professor in occupational therapy and the program\u2019s capstone coordinator, has worked in the field since 2007. As an occupational therapist, she specializes in older adult populations and is trained in a particular protocol that treats people with Parkinson\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can demonstrate what Parkinson\u2019s disease looks like,\u201d Melhorn said, \u201cand we talk about how Parkinson\u2019s disease impacts everybody in their daily lives. Everybody wants to talk about the difficulty walking and the tremors, but there\u2019s a lot more to Parkinson\u2019s disease: Social implications. Trouble sleeping. It\u2019s hard to button your shirt.\u201d<\/p>\n

This semester, Melhorn said the occupational therapy program has 24 capstone students working with various area organizations, including the Creative Discovery Museum, the Chattanooga Therapeutic Rec Department, Downside Up and Love\u2019s Arm.<\/p>\n

And at a fitness club in Ringgold, Georgia, housing Rock Steady Boxing Chattanooga.<\/p>\n

\u201cRock Steady has become this cool partnership,\u201d Melhorn said. \u201cThey give us opportunities for research, and then Kristen lets me send the students there so they can see firsthand the benefits of hard work.\u201d<\/p>\n

*\u00a0 *\u00a0 *\u00a0 *\u00a0 *<\/p>\n

Kristen Schillaci doesn\u2019t look at the people in the gym as patients or participants, calling them \u201cfighters\u201d and \u201cboxers.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the last six years, Schillaci\u2014a certified occupational therapy assistant\u2014has been the owner of Rock Steady Boxing Chattanooga<\/a>, an affiliate of the nationwide organization.<\/p>\n

Rock Steady Boxing Chattanooga is a non-contact boxing-based curriculum serving people with Parkinson\u2019s disease. The Parkinson\u2019s fighters come for exercise and boxing three afternoons a week, with an emphasis on gross motor movements, balance, coordination, core strength and rhythm.<\/p>\n

The fighters circuit around the gym, rotating from station to station to use speed bags, punching bags, dumbbells, kettlebells and other fitness center equipment. They also do circuit-based training using all the functional movements that the body goes through in a day.<\/p>\n

Then they put on boxing gloves.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always had a bond with these Parkinson\u2019s fighters; they always have a different drive to me with a sense of humor, wit and a strong will to keep pushing through,\u201d Schillaci said. \u201cSo at Rock Steady, we\u2019ve incorporated what it is this person with Parkinson\u2019s is fighting.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re fighting posture. They\u2019re fighting balance. They\u2019re fighting the tremors and the fine motor control. They\u2019re fighting the ability to rotate their trunk and pick up their feet. Boxing incorporates all of that with the hand\/eye movements, the coordination, the boxing itself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Schillaci said the forced intensity aspect of boxing makes a difference for people with Parkinson\u2019s.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt takes a good bit of coordination to map out those movements, so we give them straight commands in class; their brain has to say what that command is and translate it to action. It requires them to do all these different things,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s hard. That\u2019s what makes the difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

*\u00a0 *\u00a0 *\u00a0 *\u00a0 *<\/p>\n

\"Parkinson's

Parkinson’s fighters hard at work under the watchful eye of Grace Sanford, far right.<\/p><\/div>\n

The Rock Steady boxers call her \u201cAmazing Grace.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grace Sanford, the recipient of a UTC bachelor\u2019s degree in health and exercise science in 2019, is getting ready to walk across the McKenzie Arena stage once again when graduate school students participate in commencement ceremonies on May 6.<\/p>\n

Sanford\u2019s occupational therapy clinical doctoral degree comes on the heels of spending 14 weeks working with Rock Steady as part of her capstone project.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe go on clinical rotations throughout our schooling and we learn how to do most of the health-related stuff, but the capstone is designed to use our other skills like program development,\u201d said Sanford, who came to UTC after attending Girls Preparatory School\u2014located less than one mile from campus.<\/p>\n

When she started at Rock Steady at the beginning of the year, Sanford conducted a needs assessment to determine what could be changed or altered. She found out right away that caregiver education was of utmost importance.<\/p>\n

\u201cI learned more about just the Parkinson\u2019s patient and Parkinson\u2019s population in general,\u201d Sanford said. \u201cYes, it\u2019s hard for them to walk and they have cognition issues, but I felt like I learned what was more important to them specifically. They were really worried about their nutrition and their loved ones\u2014and how it affected them.<\/p>\n

\u201cTaking care of someone who has Parkinson\u2019s disease can be really taxing on the caregiver. I wanted to make sure that they had the resources they needed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sanford created a handbook for loved ones of those with Parkinson\u2019s because they weren\u2019t given resources upon diagnosis.<\/p>\n

She was also heavily involved in implementing a new Rock Steady program called Pedaling for Parkinson\u2019s, soliciting funding and Echelon spin bike donations while promoting the program with local neurologists and physician\u2019s groups. She then helped set up and train the participants.<\/p>\n

Pedaling for Parkinson\u2019s is now offered three mornings a week.<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt like I succeeded in giving them resources and things they\u2019ll continue to use through the program,\u201d Sanford said.<\/p>\n

Other UTC occupational training students getting ready to start their clinicals, including\u2014on this April Monday afternoon\u2014Annadele Benson, Hayden Veronick and Kendall Jeter, have participated in the Rock Steady workouts with the boxers.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can only talk about this so much in the classroom. You have to see this in action to learn about Parkinson\u2019s,\u201d Melhorn said.<\/p>\n

\"Nick

Nick Honerkamp at Rock Steady Boxing Chattanooga.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cThe boxers really enjoy when we have students come here, especially for capstone projects, because the focus is on them,\u201d Schillaci said. \u201cI think they appreciate having that outside person doing research on them because it\u2019s all about trying to do things to help them and their disorder and their disease.\u201d<\/p>\n

*\u00a0 *\u00a0 *\u00a0 *\u00a0 *<\/p>\n

When he\u2019s not in the gym, Honerkamp often can be found running, bicycling, walking his dog or playing bass guitar in The Pool\u2014a British Invasion cover band.<\/p>\n

In fact, The Pool will be performing at a Kickin\u2019 It for Parkinson\u2019s kickball tournament fundraiser on Saturday, April 30, at the Barnhart Circle Fields in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t play to the level that I am accustomed to,\u201d he said, \u201cbut I\u2019ve been able to jump rope over the problems you might expect. It\u2019s a lot of fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

Honerkamp said Rock Steady has been \u201ca godsend\u201d thanks to the program\u2019s robust attack against Parkinson\u2019s.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was something I really needed,\u201d he said, \u201cand I don\u2019t think I\u2019m as bad as I could be for what Parkinson\u2019s does to you.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn my opinion, and I think it\u2019s shared to some extent with everybody there, the people at Rock Steady are increasing our lifespan by slowing Parkinson\u2019s down. We are very fortunate to be part of the program working with people like Kristen and Grace.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"OT <\/a>
OT students work with Parkinsons clients at Our House Studios, Monday, April 4, 2022. <\/div> <\/div>
\"OT <\/a>
OT students work with Parkinsons clients at Our House Studios, Monday, April 4, 2022. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"OT <\/a>
OT students work with Parkinsons clients at Our House Studios, Monday, April 4, 2022. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"OT <\/a>
OT students work with Parkinsons clients at Our House Studios, Monday, April 4, 2022. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"OT <\/a>
OT students work with Parkinsons clients at Our House Studios, Monday, April 4, 2022. <\/div> <\/div>
\"OT <\/a>
OT students work with Parkinsons clients at Our House Studios, Monday, April 4, 2022. <\/div> <\/div>
\"OT <\/a>
OT students work with Parkinsons clients at Our House Studios, Monday, April 4, 2022. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"OT <\/a>
OT students work with Parkinsons clients at Our House Studios, Monday, April 4, 2022. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"OT <\/a>
OT students work with Parkinsons clients at Our House Studios, Monday, April 4, 2022. <\/div> <\/div>
\"OT <\/a>
OT students work with Parkinsons clients at Our House Studios, Monday, April 4, 2022. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"OT <\/a>
OT students work with Parkinsons clients at Our House Studios, Monday, April 4, 2022. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"OT <\/a>
OT students work with Parkinsons clients at Our House Studios, Monday, April 4, 2022. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"OT <\/a>
OT students work with Parkinsons clients at Our House Studios, Monday, April 4, 2022. <\/div> <\/div>
\"OT <\/a>
OT students work with Parkinsons clients at Our House Studios, Monday, April 4, 2022. <\/div> <\/div>
\"OT <\/a>
OT students work with Parkinsons clients at Our House Studios, Monday, April 4, 2022. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"OT <\/a>
OT students work with Parkinsons clients at Our House Studios, Monday, April 4, 2022. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"OT <\/a>
OT students work with Parkinsons clients at Our House Studios, Monday, April 4, 2022. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"OT <\/a>
OT students work with Parkinsons clients at Our House Studios, Monday, April 4, 2022. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This semester, the UTC occupational therapy program has 24 capstone students working with various area organizations, including Rock Steady Boxing Chattanooga\u2014a non-contact boxing-based curriculum serving people with Parkinson\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n

Continue Reading <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1493,"featured_media":42276,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_slider":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_featurette":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,56,122313,83654,64,12822,661],"tags":[119374,119377,119376,7347,119373,119375],"class_list":{"0":"post-42258","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-college-of-health-education-and-professional-studies","8":"category-community","9":"category-experiential-learning","10":"category-health-and-wellness","11":"category-news","12":"category-occupational-therapy","13":"category-students","14":"tag-erin-melhorn","15":"tag-grace-sanford","16":"tag-kristen-schillaci","17":"tag-nick-honerkamp","18":"tag-parkinsons-disease","19":"tag-rock-steady-boxing-chattanooga","20":"entry"},"yoast_head":"\nHooks and jabs: UTC occupational therapy students helping fight Parkinson\u2019s | UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"This semester, the UTC occupational therapy program has 24 capstone students working with various area organizations, including Rock Steady Boxing Chattanooga\u2014a non-contact boxing-based curriculum serving people with Parkinson\u2019s disease.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Hooks and jabs: UTC occupational therapy students helping fight Parkinson\u2019s | UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"This semester, the UTC occupational therapy program has 24 capstone students working with various area organizations, including Rock Steady Boxing Chattanooga\u2014a non-contact boxing-based curriculum serving people with Parkinson\u2019s disease.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2022\/04\/hooks-and-jabs-utc-occupational-therapy-students-helping-fight-parkinsons\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/UTChattanooga\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-04-24T18:45:54+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-04-30T11:28:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2022\/04\/Rock-Steady-Boxing-22-2096-1024x701.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"701\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Chuck Wasserstrom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@UTChattanooga\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@UTChattanooga\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Chuck Wasserstrom\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2022\\\/04\\\/hooks-and-jabs-utc-occupational-therapy-students-helping-fight-parkinsons\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2022\\\/04\\\/hooks-and-jabs-utc-occupational-therapy-students-helping-fight-parkinsons\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Chuck Wasserstrom\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ba12ddef664be78c31809fda10eae4e5\"},\"headline\":\"Hooks and jabs: UTC occupational therapy students helping fight Parkinson\u2019s\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-04-24T18:45:54+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-04-30T11:28:03+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2022\\\/04\\\/hooks-and-jabs-utc-occupational-therapy-students-helping-fight-parkinsons\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1434,\"commentCount\":2,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2022\\\/04\\\/hooks-and-jabs-utc-occupational-therapy-students-helping-fight-parkinsons\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/files\\\/2022\\\/04\\\/Rock-Steady-Boxing-22-2096.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Erin Melhorn\",\"Grace Sanford\",\"Kristen Schillaci\",\"Nick Honerkamp\",\"Parkinson's disease\",\"Rock Steady Boxing Chattanooga\"],\"articleSection\":[\"College of Health, Education and Professional Studies\",\"Community\",\"Experiential Learning\",\"Health and Wellness\",\"News\",\"Occupational Therapy\",\"Students\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2022\\\/04\\\/hooks-and-jabs-utc-occupational-therapy-students-helping-fight-parkinsons\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2022\\\/04\\\/hooks-and-jabs-utc-occupational-therapy-students-helping-fight-parkinsons\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2022\\\/04\\\/hooks-and-jabs-utc-occupational-therapy-students-helping-fight-parkinsons\\\/\",\"name\":\"Hooks and jabs: UTC occupational therapy students helping fight Parkinson\u2019s | UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2022\\\/04\\\/hooks-and-jabs-utc-occupational-therapy-students-helping-fight-parkinsons\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2022\\\/04\\\/hooks-and-jabs-utc-occupational-therapy-students-helping-fight-parkinsons\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/files\\\/2022\\\/04\\\/Rock-Steady-Boxing-22-2096.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-04-24T18:45:54+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-04-30T11:28:03+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ba12ddef664be78c31809fda10eae4e5\"},\"description\":\"This semester, the UTC occupational therapy program has 24 capstone students working with various area organizations, including Rock Steady Boxing Chattanooga\u2014a non-contact boxing-based curriculum serving people with Parkinson\u2019s disease.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2022\\\/04\\\/hooks-and-jabs-utc-occupational-therapy-students-helping-fight-parkinsons\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2022\\\/04\\\/hooks-and-jabs-utc-occupational-therapy-students-helping-fight-parkinsons\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2022\\\/04\\\/hooks-and-jabs-utc-occupational-therapy-students-helping-fight-parkinsons\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/files\\\/2022\\\/04\\\/Rock-Steady-Boxing-22-2096.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/files\\\/2022\\\/04\\\/Rock-Steady-Boxing-22-2096.jpg\",\"width\":1280,\"height\":877,\"caption\":\"OT students work with Parkinsons clients at Our House Studios, Monday, April 4, 2022.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2022\\\/04\\\/hooks-and-jabs-utc-occupational-therapy-students-helping-fight-parkinsons\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Hooks and jabs: UTC occupational therapy students helping fight Parkinson\u2019s\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/\",\"name\":\"UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025\",\"description\":\"Official news releases of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ba12ddef664be78c31809fda10eae4e5\",\"name\":\"Chuck Wasserstrom\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/adff2964e628ba03f65fe21e0b0b94ca0667bdce5def0433d41884758501f284?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/adff2964e628ba03f65fe21e0b0b94ca0667bdce5def0433d41884758501f284?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/adff2964e628ba03f65fe21e0b0b94ca0667bdce5def0433d41884758501f284?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Chuck Wasserstrom\"},\"description\":\"Chuck Wasserstrom is the director of communications in the UTC Division of Communications and Marketing.\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/author\\\/wyf557\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Hooks and jabs: UTC occupational therapy students helping fight Parkinson\u2019s | UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025","description":"This semester, the UTC occupational therapy program has 24 capstone students working with various area organizations, including Rock Steady Boxing Chattanooga\u2014a non-contact boxing-based curriculum serving people with Parkinson\u2019s disease.","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Hooks and jabs: UTC occupational therapy students helping fight Parkinson\u2019s | UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025","og_description":"This semester, the UTC occupational therapy program has 24 capstone students working with various area organizations, including Rock Steady Boxing Chattanooga\u2014a non-contact boxing-based curriculum serving people with Parkinson\u2019s disease.","og_url":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2022\/04\/hooks-and-jabs-utc-occupational-therapy-students-helping-fight-parkinsons\/","og_site_name":"UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/UTChattanooga","article_published_time":"2022-04-24T18:45:54+00:00","article_modified_time":"2022-04-30T11:28:03+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":701,"url":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2022\/04\/Rock-Steady-Boxing-22-2096-1024x701.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Chuck Wasserstrom","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@UTChattanooga","twitter_site":"@UTChattanooga","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Chuck Wasserstrom","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2022\/04\/hooks-and-jabs-utc-occupational-therapy-students-helping-fight-parkinsons\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2022\/04\/hooks-and-jabs-utc-occupational-therapy-students-helping-fight-parkinsons\/"},"author":{"name":"Chuck Wasserstrom","@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/ba12ddef664be78c31809fda10eae4e5"},"headline":"Hooks and jabs: UTC occupational therapy students helping fight Parkinson\u2019s","datePublished":"2022-04-24T18:45:54+00:00","dateModified":"2022-04-30T11:28:03+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2022\/04\/hooks-and-jabs-utc-occupational-therapy-students-helping-fight-parkinsons\/"},"wordCount":1434,"commentCount":2,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2022\/04\/hooks-and-jabs-utc-occupational-therapy-students-helping-fight-parkinsons\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2022\/04\/Rock-Steady-Boxing-22-2096.jpg","keywords":["Erin Melhorn","Grace Sanford","Kristen Schillaci","Nick Honerkamp","Parkinson's disease","Rock Steady Boxing Chattanooga"],"articleSection":["College of Health, Education and Professional Studies","Community","Experiential Learning","Health and Wellness","News","Occupational Therapy","Students"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2022\/04\/hooks-and-jabs-utc-occupational-therapy-students-helping-fight-parkinsons\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2022\/04\/hooks-and-jabs-utc-occupational-therapy-students-helping-fight-parkinsons\/","url":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2022\/04\/hooks-and-jabs-utc-occupational-therapy-students-helping-fight-parkinsons\/","name":"Hooks and jabs: UTC occupational therapy students helping fight Parkinson\u2019s | UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2022\/04\/hooks-and-jabs-utc-occupational-therapy-students-helping-fight-parkinsons\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2022\/04\/hooks-and-jabs-utc-occupational-therapy-students-helping-fight-parkinsons\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2022\/04\/Rock-Steady-Boxing-22-2096.jpg","datePublished":"2022-04-24T18:45:54+00:00","dateModified":"2022-04-30T11:28:03+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/ba12ddef664be78c31809fda10eae4e5"},"description":"This semester, the UTC occupational therapy program has 24 capstone students working with various area organizations, including Rock Steady Boxing Chattanooga\u2014a non-contact boxing-based curriculum serving people with Parkinson\u2019s disease.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2022\/04\/hooks-and-jabs-utc-occupational-therapy-students-helping-fight-parkinsons\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2022\/04\/hooks-and-jabs-utc-occupational-therapy-students-helping-fight-parkinsons\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2022\/04\/hooks-and-jabs-utc-occupational-therapy-students-helping-fight-parkinsons\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2022\/04\/Rock-Steady-Boxing-22-2096.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2022\/04\/Rock-Steady-Boxing-22-2096.jpg","width":1280,"height":877,"caption":"OT students work with Parkinsons clients at Our House Studios, Monday, April 4, 2022."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2022\/04\/hooks-and-jabs-utc-occupational-therapy-students-helping-fight-parkinsons\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Hooks and jabs: UTC occupational therapy students helping fight Parkinson\u2019s"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/","name":"UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025","description":"Official news releases of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/ba12ddef664be78c31809fda10eae4e5","name":"Chuck Wasserstrom","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/adff2964e628ba03f65fe21e0b0b94ca0667bdce5def0433d41884758501f284?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/adff2964e628ba03f65fe21e0b0b94ca0667bdce5def0433d41884758501f284?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/adff2964e628ba03f65fe21e0b0b94ca0667bdce5def0433d41884758501f284?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Chuck Wasserstrom"},"description":"Chuck Wasserstrom is the director of communications in the UTC Division of Communications and Marketing.","url":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/author\/wyf557\/"}]}},"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2022\/04\/Rock-Steady-Boxing-22-2096.jpg","featured_image_src_square":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2022\/04\/Rock-Steady-Boxing-22-2096.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Chuck Wasserstrom","author_link":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/author\/wyf557\/"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2022\/04\/Rock-Steady-Boxing-22-2096.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42258","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1493"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42258"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42258\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42296,"href":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42258\/revisions\/42296"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/42276"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42258"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42258"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42258"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}