Parkinson’s patients in Rio find relief through capoeira

Twice a week, a group of Parkinson’s patients gathers in the Lapa neighbourhood to practise capoeira, a centuries-old mix of martial arts, dance, and music once outlawed in Brazil.

Their instructor, Rosi Peixoto, began using capoeira as therapy in 2017. Since then, participants have reported improvements in balance, movement, and overall confidence.

Parkinson’s affects around 200,000 people in Brazil.

While conventional therapies remain vital, patients like Nilma Teles Freitas and Antonio Azevedo say capoeira has given them the strength and joy they thought they had lost.