Local Parkinson's patients, doctors team up to raise funds toward a cure!

PHILADELPHIA - Feb. 19, 2015 - PRLog -- Registration is now open for the 2015 Philly Rabbit Run on April 4 at the Philadelphia Zoo.  The event consists of a 5K run and 1 Mile walk in and around the zoo before it opens to the public.

Philly Rabbit Run is organized by Shake It Off for Parkinson's Disease, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation founded by Chris Cianci, D.C., after his wife Jodi was diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson's Disease.  Current Board of Advisors includes Parkinson's patients, a Movement Disorder Specialist from Cooper University Hospital, and the lead researcher at University of Delaware Exercise Neuroscience Lab.

Research shows that exercise is key to curb the progress of Parkinson's, which is characterized by tremors, rigidity, slowness of movements and other non-motor symptoms.  Shake It Off Inc. is a vocal advocate for the need to exercise for those with Parkinson's disease while funding research to find the cure.

"We know that exercise improves motor symptoms and cognition and has the potential to slow down the degenerative processes in people with and without Parkinson's disease.  The zoo is the perfect setting to highlight the importance of exercise. It doesn't matter if you hop like a kangaroo or run like a rabbit what is important is that we all get moving!", said Dr. Amy Colcher,    Director of Cooper University Hospital's Movement disorders division and member of the Board of Advisors at Shake It Off.

Over 1 million Americans live with Parkinson's disease, which is more than the combined number of people diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy and Lou Gehrig's disease. In the United States 60,000 new cases of PD will be diagnosed this year alone. Parkinson can strike at age.

For more information and registration please visit our booth at the Endurance Sports Expo February 21^st and 22^nd at The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA, or at www.shakeitoff4pd.org.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @Shakeitoff4pd.