 |
 |
On Wed, 30 Nov 1994, LAFRAMBOISE MARTINE wrote: > "Bonjour" everyone, > > Does anybody have information on music therapy dealing with people who > cope with Parkinson's disease? I would greatly appreciate your findings. > "Merci beaucoup".> Bonjour Martine Je suis heureuse de voir votre question -- Robert Fink is correct. Mozart and Vivaldi are very good at getting a Parkinsonian moving, but I also like Handel and all of the great marches from opera to Sousa. If they are on a personal tape player you don't disturb others. Way back in 1989 a student OT at Dalhousie, did her final year research paper on Music and Parkinsons. Her name was Ms Nancy Salmon. I have no idea where she might be now but the Dal library may have a copy. I just have a covering letter in my files. You may find some interesting leads through Dr George Turnbull of the Physiotherapy Dept. at Dalhousie. His recent book is very interesting but I don't remember anything on music. We use music with our chapter exercise class (Moving to Music ....Government of Canada-Fitness and Amateur Sport). It doesn't really matter what the music is as long as it has a good driving beat. Familiarity is an advantage as the immobile foot or arm seems to be triggered into the remembered motion that 'goes' with a particular piece of music. (BTW our exercise leader did her MA Thesis on the Role of Exercise in the Management of Parkinson's) When desperate I use music to get myself moving. Sometimes I can only move fingers and hands when I start but gradually I begin to unfreeze and the toes begin to tap almost independently of will. I had one friend who would run up and down the stairs to get his meds to 'kick in' and another who was seen and heard marching through a hotel lobby to 'Onward Christian Soldiers'. This Parkinson's surely is a strange condition. Anne Rutherford St John's NF [log in to unmask]