Dancing May Improve Parkinson's Symptoms
 

When the band strikes up a tango, people with Parkinson?s disease may want to head for the

dance floor.

That is the lesson from a new study reporting that when Parkinson?s patients took tango

classes, their balance improved.

Problems with walking and balance are common among people with the disease, and often lead to

falls. Among the difficulties, the researchers said, are shuffling and trouble turning while

walking. Patients may experience a sudden ?freezing? that can either slow them down or stop

them entirely. They also have trouble walking while performing another activity at the same

time.

The study appears in the December issue of The Journal of Neurologic Physical Therapy. The lead

author is Madeleine E. Hackney of the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

The researchers described what happened when 19 Parkinson?s patients were given either 20 tango

classes or 20 exercise classes. The exercise class consisted of one hour of movement, much of

it in chairs or using chairs for support. The tango class was more vigorous, and focused on

stretching, balance, footwork and timing.

Both groups demonstrated general improvement, but only the tango students appeared to do better

when it came to balance. The improvement was fairly limited, and the researchers said more

study was needed.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/12/he...ZHK4Z4wbzFUoKA