Tango Therapy for Parkinsons

Angela

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Now there's a therapy I could get behind.

See:
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/613661v1

"[FONT=&quot]Background: Dance has been used extensively to help supplement ongoing therapies for people with PD, most commonly on a weekly or biweekly basis. A daily dose, however, may provide additional benefits. This study examines the dose effect of a dance intervention delivered within a clinic for movement disorders in which PwPD are paired with experienced studio tango dancers. Objective: The current study aims to examine the dose effects of daily dance for PwPD on motor and non-motor functions directly within a movement disorders clinic. Design: within-subject, pre-post-intervention, mixed-methods evaluation including UPDRS III. Setting: The intervention was held at the Movement Disorders Department of a General Hospital in Buenos Aires, Argentina over two-weeks. Subjects: The class had 21 people in total attendance per class. Two were expert tango dancers and instructors, nine were advanced tango dancers (volunteers), two were caregivers and eight were people with mild and moderate severity [Hoehn and Yahr (H&Y) scale 1-2] idiopathic Parkinson's disease. Intervention: Ten dance lessons, each 90-minutes daily within a two-week period. Outcome measures: The Movement Disorders Society unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) part III was used for pre- and post-motor assessment. Psychological questionnaires, a Likert scale examining symptoms, and a pictorial scale were used to assess non-motor aspects. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to assess the impact of the dance intervention on participants' experience. Results: Our study found a significant 18% amelioration in motor symptoms as measured by UPDRS III. We also found improvements on activities of daily living (ADL), sleep, Psychological Needs variables - post high does dance intervention in Likert Scale. Conclusions: A high does short-term tango intervention for PwPD improved motor and non-motor aspects of PD such as ADL and sleep with high levels of adherence (97.5%) and enjoyment reported by participants. This dance intervention also improved participant's perception of their own skills. The frequency or dosage of dance in rehabilitation suggests that an increased dose from once per week to 5 times per week can ameliorate many symptoms of PD and could be used as a short-term intervention."

It could also alter their mood.

It makes sense that movement disorders could be ameliorated by this kind of focused exercise. I would think it would even people with just balance issues.

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Sorry for the off-topic, but, besides the interesting paper, it called my attention the video (great!).
This music, "Milonga para as Missões", is from my birth state/province, Rio Grande do Sul. The author is Gilberto Monteiro, but the most popular version is the Renato Borghetti's, a famous accordionist from South Brazil, and a fellow "oriundi". (Btw, R. Borghetti's father is/was my father's third cousin AFAIK, but he doesn't know it. je je je)

 
Sorry for the off-topic, but, besides the interesting paper, it called my attention the video (great!).
This music, "Milonga para as Missões", is from my birth state/province, Rio Grande do Sul. The author is Gilberto Monteiro, but the most popular version is the Renato Borghetti's, a famous accordionist from South Brazil, and a fellow "oriundi". (Btw, R. Borghetti's father is/was my father's third cousin AFAIK, but he doesn't know it. je je je)


You've discovered one of my passions: tango and milonga. :)

Your cousin is absolutely wonderful, btw. So is the dancer in the clip: just superb.
 
You've discovered one of my passions: tango and milonga. :)
Your cousin is absolutely wonderful, btw. So is the dancer in the clip: just superb.
Thanks.
Just another familiar "factoid", since Borghetti is really famous. :) I figure it out not too much time ago, accidently, when researching a sister of my father's paternal grandmother. :)
If you like Milonga, perhaps you'll like Chamamé as well. They are not the same, of course, but they both are the styles some Latin Americans generally use to express "emotions".
Here is an example of Chamamé. From Argentina, but performed by a group from Pelotas-RS, South Brazil:
Merceditas
 
Thanks.
Just another familiar "factoid", since Borghetti is really famous. :) I figure it out not too much time ago, accidently, when researching a sister of my father's paternal grandmother. :)
If you like Milonga, perhaps you'll like Chamamé as well. They are not the same, of course, but they both are the styles some Latin Americans generally use to express "emotions".
Here is an example of Chamamé. From Argentina, but performed by a group from Pelotas-RS, South Brazil:
Merceditas

I do like it. It's "happy" music.

Most of my childhood, on the week-ends one village or another would have a dance in their town square, mothers on chairs looking on (and priests!), fathers drinking together under a tree, children running around.

The village musicians played every type of what we call ballo liscio, but often a mazurka, around and around the floor counterclockwise. A lot of polkas too. Happy music, as I said. My parents met at such a dance. My Dad drove his motorbike up into the hills to a particular village (Panicale), because there was word that one of the girls there was a spectacular dancer. That was my mom. :) She "was" spectacular. Even into late middle age, all the men at family gatherings would ask if they could dance with her.

It still goes on, although now there's an area where a disc jockey plays modern music too.

Those and the food sagres are among my favorite memories.

It's good for your emotional and mental health too, as well as your motor skills and balance.

 
I do like it. It's "happy" music.

Most of my childhood, on the week-ends one village or another would have a dance in their town square, mothers on chairs looking on (and priests!), fathers drinking together under a tree, children running around.

The village musicians played every type of what we call ballo liscio, but often a mazurka, around and around the floor counterclockwise. A lot of polkas too. Happy music, as I said. My parents met at such a dance. My Dad drove his motorbike up into the hills to a particular village (Panicale), because there was word that one of the girls there was a spectacular dancer. That was my mom. :) She "was" spectacular. Even into late middle age, all the men at family gatherings would ask if they could dance with her.

It still goes on, although now there's an area where a disc jockey plays modern music too.

Those and the food sagres are among my favorite memories.

It's good for your emotional and mental health too, as well as your motor skills and balance.

Now that you said, it really inspires happiness, in a certain way, but it's perhaps a characteristic mainly of the version? The music can be somewhat "nostalgic" as well. It talks on an unrequited love. There is an interesting story behind it. If you can read Spanish:
https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merceditas_(canción)

How nice story, and how nice festa! These events in little villages must have been awesome, and apparently they still exist. Unfortunately, I haven't experienced something really close to it, 'cause I grew up in a relatively big city, in the second half of 70s, but familiar events in the country must have filled it in part, I'd guess. My parents, on the other hand, certainly did experience something similar in the little places they grew up.
Still, based on some few experiences of the past, stories, images, research etc., I do appreciate a lot that "life style", which doesn't mean I suffer the golden age syndrome. je je je I'm aware of certain "disadvantages" of those times, and pretty much appreciate some "facilities" of modern world. Anyway, many things have a price that we just have to pay for, i.e., we probably lost some good things. Well, no problem. That's how it is.
As for the dancing, well, if I were from one of those villages, I'd probably be one of the musicians, not dancers. :) I never dance, so I don't have any idea abt. how it's to really practice it. My brain wouldn't know what to do. Lol You talked about motor skills. I agree, but, curiously, I'm the worst dancer of the family (since I don"t dance at all) and the best sportsman (or was; no time to practice any at this moment; probably in the future I'm back).
 
Now that you said, it really inspires happiness, in a certain way, but it's perhaps a characteristic mainly of the version? The music can be somewhat "nostalgic" as well. It talks on an unrequited love. There is an interesting story behind it. If you can read Spanish:
https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merceditas_(canción)

How nice story, and how nice festa! These events in little villages must have been awesome, and apparently they still exist. Unfortunately, I haven't experienced something really close to it, 'cause I grew up in a relatively big city, in the second half of 70s, but familiar events in the country must have filled it in part, I'd guess. My parents, on the other hand, certainly did experience something similar in the little places they grew up.
Still, based on some few experiences of the past, stories, images, research etc., I do appreciate a lot that "life style", which doesn't mean I suffer the golden age syndrome. je je je I'm aware of certain "disadvantages" of those times, and pretty much appreciate some "facilities" of modern world. Anyway, many things have a price that we just have to pay for, i.e., we probably lost some good things. Well, no problem. That's how it is.
As for the dancing, well, if I were from one of those villages, I'd probably be one of the musicians, not dancers. :) I never dance, so I don't have any idea abt. how it's to really practice it. My brain wouldn't know what to do. Lol You talked about motor skills. I agree, but, curiously, I'm the worst dancer of the family (since I don"t dance at all) and the best sportsman (or was; no time to practice any at this moment; probably in the future I'm back).

Ah, interesting. No, the mazurkas, polkas, waltzes, two steps, which dominate these dances are not all or even predominantly about unrequited love. They can be about anything, really. "Mamma" was dance music, for example, as was "dammi cento lire". :) I used to go to a Croatian after hours restaurant where they started playing dance music at 11, and the band would strike that up when I entered. :)

Here's one from your own Veneto: La Mazurka del Buon Vino. :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgFvxsQkmM4&list=PLUy2zbOMyniwuRV-ZG81dR5C0QfuwOhnS

I actually meant that it was similar in having a lively beat, not like a tango or rumba or mambo, although they play those too.

I'm surprised that you have difficulties with dancing if you're a good sportsman. In my experience, the two often go together, although not if the sport is something like rugby or American football, or something like that, although on our dance shows some of those men are surprisingly light on their feet.

Anyway, not everyone who dances is all that good at it, or needs to be. It's just supposed to be fun.
 
Ah, interesting. No, the mazurkas, polkas, waltzes, two steps, which dominate these dances are not all or even predominantly about unrequited love. They can be about anything, really. "Mamma" was dance music, for example, as was "dammi cento lire". :) I used to go to a Croatian after hours restaurant where they started playing dance music at 11, and the band would strike that up when I entered. :)
Here's one from your own Veneto: La Mazurka del Buon Vino. :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgFvxsQkmM4&list=PLUy2zbOMyniwuRV-ZG81dR5C0QfuwOhnS
I actually meant that it was similar in having a lively beat, not like a tango or rumba or mambo, although they play those too.
I'm surprised that you have difficulties with dancing if you're a good sportsman. In my experience, the two often go together, although not if the sport is something like rugby or American football, or something like that, although on our dance shows some of those men are surprisingly light on their feet.
Anyway, not everyone who dances is all that good at it, or needs to be. It's just supposed to be fun.
In my last post I was talking on Merceditas specifically, not Chamamé as a whole.
Mercedes, or Merceditas, a real person, never married, and said, little before her death, she was punished by God for having rejected the author of the music. je je je

As for dancing vs certain sports, that's the irony. It's somewhat intuitive to think the two skills must have some correspondence, so it's really curious I'm such an alien with regard to dance, hence my comment.
 
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Parkinson's runs in my family so I'll be signing up for Tango lessons in case I wind up with this terrible disease
 
Parkinson's runs in my family so I'll be signing up for Tango lessons in case I wind up with this terrible disease

You can’t Tango Solo.

It takes two to Tango.

Tango on. :)

 
I would think dance therapy with a number of different dances would be good for Parkinson's sufferers, or just for general mobility for aging people or people with such issues.

Since it was Argentina, they chose the tango. :)

For me it would depend on what "kind" of tango was being taught. I definitely wouldn't like the idea of dancing a very intimate, a la "Dancing with the Stars" version with some stranger. Well, if I went with my husband, that might be very nice though. :)
 

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