Dance helps lift people with Parkinson's disease

ROBERT FREY IS WORKING ON HIS DANCE MOVES

SOT ROBERT FREY, DANCER: Im not gonna become a professional dancer by any means but ya know it keeps my body moving in the ways it needs to move.

MOVING ISNT ALWAYS EASY FOR FREY WHO WAS DIAGNOSED WITH PARKINSONS DISEASE ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO.

BUT TAPPING HIS TOES TO THE BEAT IS HELPING FREY *BEAT SOME OF HIS SYMPTOMS.

SOT ROBERT FREY: Physically and emotionally, its a lift.

FREY IS GETTING THAT LIFT HERE IN ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA THROUGH A DANCE PROGRAM DESIGNED FOR PEOPLE WITH PARKINSONS DISEASE.

SOT DR. TED ROTHSTEIN, MD, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF NEUROLOGY, GWU: There have been studies that have been published which show that dance techniques seem to produce more improvement in patients Parkinsons Disease symptoms than ordinary physical therapy.

PARKINSONS IS A MOVEMENT DISORDER CHARACTERIZED BY TREMORS, STIFFNESS AND SLOW MOTIONS. ITS CAUSED BY THE DEFICIENCY OF A CHEMICAL IN THE BRAIN CALLED DOPAMINE.

SOT DR. TED ROTHSTEIN: Dance usually involves music and music can actually stimulate the production of dopaminethe other point about dance therapy is that we know if patients tap their hand in a certain rhythm they can sometimes do things that they could not do otherwise.

SANDY MYLES REMEMBERS WATCHING HER FATHER DEAL WITH PARKINSONS.

SOT SANDY MYLES: So when my hands started to tremor, I knew. Ya know, somehow I just knew that thats what it was.

MYLES IS TRYING TO POSTPONE TAKING MEDICATION FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLESHE SAYS DANCE IS HELPING HER DO THAT.

SOT SANDY MYLES, DANCER: There are so many things that are wonderful about it. The movement, the coordination, the learning new steps, the being with other people who are, ya know, dealing with the same situation.

SOT LUCY BOWEN MCCAULEY, INSTRUCTOR: Theres something about dance that makes us more coordinated and connected and puts us on sort of a runners high thing that just regular exercise, even exercise to music, doesnt do and were trying to figure out how to explain that.

A DEFINITIVE EXPLANATION MAY STILL BE UNCERTAIN, BUT FREY AND MYLES SAY GETTING DOWN IS HELPING THEM GET THEIR GROOVE BACK.

SOT SANDY MYLES: It gives me a lot of hope that I can stay functional for longer.

FOR UPI.COM, IM MELISSE HINKLE.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Parkinson's
• Disease
• health
• medicine
• hospital
• dance
• class
• music
• movement
• tremor
• symptom
• physical
• emotional
• news
• doctor

[fatazzamerican45]

In America most insurance companies will reject their medical claim and will not pay for leisure time.

[keepintouchx]

hey guys just to let you know :D you can donate by text text MIlk11 £1 to 70070 :D

[mikcoollol]

My grandmother got parkinson :( If some of you can donate to pay her treatment it would be so nice ... w w w . gofundme . com / 9ayl8

[joe123090]

@redrocket17 but if you smoke everyday to relieve your Parkinsons your gonna have to smoke more and more to get the same desired effect and thats because the dopamine cells in your brain are dying as a result of daily use, so no it will not help for Parkinsons Disease it will probably only make it worst in the long run and for a person with a fragile brain as someone with Parkinsons smoking marijuana would probably cause more problems with the brain like demetia, etc.

[Songspoint]

@redrocket17 What would marijuana do to help Parkinson disease?

[foreverbluewolf]

I was a dance major in high school and danced thru college, I recently worked with a lovely 68 yr man that I tried this with and it really work..it was awe inspiring..thank you

[Krowzman]

This is great.. i love to see when people get help with problems that they have, and this is just great :D

[bpyjktgiuk]

Brain chip - CHECK MY SITE.