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Parkinson Dance Essay

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One of the earliest studies found examined the benefits of dance for a person with PD was in 1989, by Beth Kaplan Westbrook and Helen McKibben. The study compared the benefits of a six-week period dance/movement session to an exercise group. The authors detected improvements during the one-hour dance session than the exercise group. Another article in the field of dance and Parkinson is a preliminary study published in 2007. The small sample “investigated and compared the effects of dance and strength/flexibility exercise on functional mobility in people with PD” (Hackney et al. 5). Nineteen subjects were recruited with PD and randomly assigned to either a tango or exercise class. The participants completed a total of twenty classes and were …show more content…

The participants’ balance, stability, and posture were examined on the Fullerton Advanced Balance Scale, which tests the static and dynamic balance of individuals under fluctuating sensory circumstances. The results showed there was an improvement in balance and stability, as well as motivation in the participants (111). Dr. Hackney and Dr. Earhart of Washington University School of Medicine conducted another study on the effect of dance on Parkinson’s disease. They focused specifically on how dance affects individuals with severe Parkinson’s. After a 10-week study where participants attended two tango dance classes a week, Dr. Hackney and Dr. Earhart concluded the balance, gait and functional reach of the participants improved (4-5). While the literature on the topic of dance in medicine as it relates to Parkinson’s disease is scarce, it is a field of study that is gaining recognition. Healthcare professionals and artists alike are taking interest in this subject and are beginning to uncover the significance that this area of study holds for people with …show more content…

This type of rehabilitation is especially helpful in improving balance, mobility, and endurance. Contact improvisation and tango are two types of dance that are often used for people with Parkinson’s (Marchant et al. 188-189). In a recent study conducted by the University of Limerick in Ireland, it was stated that the attendance rate was much higher than with regular therapy sessions and many of the patients requested that their programs be extended (Shanahan et al.). Dance might be a long-term solution to aid people with Parkinson’s. It not only helps to improve the body functions, but it works on the emotional level of the patient causing them to enjoy and become emotionally invested in these programs. In another study conducted by the American Dance Therapy Association, a dance class lasting two hours per week for twelve months had proven to better the gait, balance, upper extremity function and quality of life in the participants with Parkinson’s disease. This is in part because dance activates structures in the brain such as the parietal lobe, basal ganglia, and cerebellum that are specific only to dance, as well as, areas in the brain normally activated by motor tasks (Mandelbaum & Lo 173). The American Dance Therapy Association study stated “Dance is thought to involve multiple neural networks that involve motor learning, balance, and spatial integration, as well as

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