Parkinson’s disease patients turn to dance

Phyllis Valentine never trained as a dancer, but she fondly remembers whirling around the room doing the polka with her father as a young girl.

She also remembers watching her father’s steady deterioration after he was found to have Parkinson’s disease, a debilitating neuromuscular condition that eventually robs patients of the ability to perform even the most basic movements without great difficulty. So when, at the age of 75, Valentine received a similar diagnosis, she figured any dancing was solidly in her past.

“The doctor told me I was in the early stages,” says the former New Yorker, a petite woman with an irreverent sense of humor who lacks the tremor that is the most recognizable sign of a Parkinson’s patient. “But I was scared to death.”

Parkinson’s, which results from the dying of brain cells that produce dopamine, a chemical messenger critical to movement, can result in tremors, stiffness, difficulty with speech and general movement impairment.

About 1 million American have the disease and approximately 60,000 new cases are diagnosed annually.

Paradoxical as it may seem to pair movement-restricted patients with artists who make a living from their flexible and athletic bodies, David Levanthal — the MMDG dancer who has become the unofficial authority on Dance for PD — says both bring “a superconsciousness to movement.” The physical and mental discipline a dancer requires to execute challenging steps travel along the same brain pathways that a Parkinson’s patient must exercise to retain even the most pedestrian movement

 For more information visit us at www. parkinsonresearchfoundation.org.

By CARRIE SEIDMAN
Source:http://health.heraldtribune.com/2012/06/05/parkinsons-disease-patients-turn-to-dance/

The Benefits of Exercise for People Who Suffer From Parkinson’s Disease

Many sufferers of Parkinson’s disease quickly find that various aspects of their life are no longer controllable in the way that they used to be however by exercising regularly Parkinson sufferers can continue to control their gross movements i.e. walking, holding objects etc. for longer which adds a mental and emotional boost to their wellbeing. Research has shown that exercise may also improve the synthesis of dopamine in the brain and increase the levels of neurotrophic factors which are beneficial compounds.

Exercise for people diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease incorporates muscle strengthening, flexibility and toning activities so that muscles and joints stay flexible and strong. It is normal for a physiotherapist to implement an exercise schedule for the patient that includes a range of activities to work all muscles of the body over a two or three day period. So for example, day one of the cycle may include walking and strengthening exercises for the arms and hands whereas day two might be a yoga class where flexibility of the joints is the main focus.

It is essential to monitor the patient’s progress, not only so that any improvements and decreases in function are recorded but also as a stimulus for the patient; when people see improvement and can visualise the effort that they put in they are much more positive about continuing the regime.

In general exercise should test the entire body and not just the limbs so that posture and movement is maintained for as long as possible. Good posture is essential in the later stages of Parkinson’s disease because stooping can hamper breathing and swallowing. Exercises for posture include callisthenics, yoga, Pilates, tai chi, and swimming however not every sufferer will enjoy these types of activities. Simply sitting upright while reading a book or watching TV and walking with a straight back will also help though, thus walking the dog or playing with the children or grandchildren are great ways to work the body muscles and to enjoy daily exercising.

Regular exercise for the Parkinson’s sufferer will reduce the incidence of muscle cramps, rigidity of the joints and the aches and pains associated with staying still for long periods of time. Also, because exercise helps the sufferer to maintain control over many of their gross movements (although maybe not the tremors) it gives them a heightened sense of achievement and so stress and anxiety levels remain low. Keeping a positive mental attitude is incredibly important in conditions like Parkinson’s disease where sufferer can very easily become frustrated and discouraged with their predicament.

As with all exercise routines, the patient should start with a good warm up followed by the exercise activity of their choice or which has been scheduled for that day, and then they should finish with a positive cool down so that the chances of developing muscle cramps and injuries are greatly reduced. An exercise session should ideally last around 15-20 minutes and should not by any means exhaust the patient. Overexertion can be equally as damaging to a Parkinson’s sufferer as no exercise at all.

In order to make daily exercise more appealing and less of a chore it may be worth trying to find a friend or relative that is willing to exercise with the patient. Also, a bit of variety in the type of exercise will not only mean that the exercise stays interesting but it will also ensure that all muscles and joints of the body are used to a satisfactory level.

Gameworld: Motion games broaden uses beyond exercise

By John Gaudiosi
RALEIGH, North Carolina (Reuters Life!) – Ever since Nintendo launched the Wii, gamers have been interacting with characters and working out with virtual trainers in titles like Electronic Arts’ “EA Sports Active” or Ubisoft’s “Your Shape.”
Nintendo is even encouraging families to exercise together with “Wii Games: Summer 2010,” a national tour that kicks off in Jersey City, New Jersey on July 16 with Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson serving as an ambassador for the competition.

Now researchers, scientists and game developers are using Nintendo’s console for many other health-oriented applications, and in some cases are getting millions of dollars in grants to dream up new technologies.

A recent gathering of over 400 top minds at the sixth annual Games for Health Conference in Boston found innovative new ways that video games with motion-sensor controllers are being used to help doctors and patients.

Through a grant from the National Institute of Health, Red Hill Games and the School of Nursing at the University of California San Francisco are using Wii technology to create games that help people with Parkinson’s disease improve their balance. One called “Rail Runner” requires patients to stand up and sit down to operate an old-fashioned railroad hand cart.

“Most of these patients are in their 70s and 80s, and they really love these games,” said Bob Hone, creative director at Red Hill Studios. “They really want something that’s going to address their disease, and what’s different is these games are designed specifically for them.”

Red Hill is incorporating similar Wii technology into games to help improve gait and balance in kids with Cerebral Palsy.

“These kids sometimes have physical challenges, so we’ve taken that into account to make games where they feel like they’re walking and they get to the finish line successfully,” said Hone.

GROWING BUSINESS
This fall, Sony Computer Entertainment America will launch PlayStation Move for PlayStation 3 and Microsoft will introduce Kinect for Xbox 360. These new devices are expected to not only open up gaming to a new mainstream audience, but also offer pioneers in the burgeoning Games for Health arena the ability to dream up new technology.

“The impact of these new technologies is going to be as seismic as Nintendo was when it originally came out with the Wii and the Wii balance board, because it’s going to extend across more platforms,” said Stephen Yang, a researcher and assistant professor at New York’s College of Courtland.

“There are a lot of great game designers out there who will be able to tap into these new physical interactions with games and bring new experiences that will be both fun and beneficial for patients,” Yang said.

John Lumpkin, MD, senior vice president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, has seen first-hand the advances that motion-sensor controllers and physical games have had on both his patients and his own children.

“These games promote motion, which increases the heart rate and burns more calories,” said Lumpkin. “Even a game with the simplest motion like playing drums on ‘Rock Band’ can have a gamer burning twice as many calories per hour as he or she would just sitting around, while a more vigorous game like ‘Dance Dance Revolution’ can burn as many as six times the amount of calories,” said Lumpkin.
Lumpkin said what really excites him, and many in his field, is that fact that today researchers are using a Wii balance board game to help stroke victims regain their balance just as effectively as an $18,000 piece of equipment.

That’s one reason why the Games for Health sector has been growing exponentially over the past six years with no slowdown in sight.

“When you look at the economic activity associated with Health Care in the U.S. it’s approximately 16 percent of gross domestic product, even in countries that spend less on health care, it’s still double-digit GDPs,” said Ben Sawyer, co-founder, Games for Health.

“Small games for health developers are receiving grants in the tens of millions to the low hundreds of millions” of dollars, said Sawyer. “When you combine those numbers with game sales of titles like Konami’s ‘Dance Dance Revolution,’ Ubisoft’s ‘Your Shape,’ Nintendo’s ‘Wii Fit’ and Electronic Arts’ ‘EA Sports Active,’ the Games for Health sector is well over $1 billion annually.”

The Benefits of Exercise for People Who Suffer From Parkinson’s Disease

by Jeremy Parker

Many sufferers of Parkinson’s disease quickly find that various aspects of their life are no longer controllable in the way that they used to be however by exercising regularly Parkinson sufferers can continue to control their gross movements i.e. walking, holding objects etc. for longer which adds a mental and emotional boost to their wellbeing. Research has shown that exercise may also improve the synthesis of dopamine in the brain and increase the levels of neurotrophic factors which are beneficial compounds.

Exercise for people diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease incorporates muscle strengthening, flexibility and toning activities so that muscles and joints stay flexible and strong. It is normal for a physiotherapist to implement an exercise schedule for the patient that includes a range of activities to work all muscles of the body over a two or three day period. So for example, day one of the cycle may include walking and strengthening exercises for the arms and hands whereas day two might be a yoga class where flexibility of the joints is the main focus.

It is essential to monitor the patient’s progress, not only so that any improvements and decreases in function are recorded but also as a stimulus for the patient; when people see improvement and can visualise the effort that they put in they are much more positive about continuing the regime.

In general exercise should test the entire body and not just the limbs so that posture and movement is maintained for as long as possible. Good posture is essential in the later stages of Parkinson’s disease because stooping can hamper breathing and swallowing. Exercises for posture include callisthenics, yoga, Pilates, tai chi, and swimming however not every sufferer will enjoy these types of activities. Simply sitting upright while reading a book or watching TV and walking with a straight back will also help though, thus walking the dog or playing with the children or grandchildren are great ways to work the body muscles and to enjoy daily exercising.

Regular exercise for the Parkinson’s sufferer will reduce the incidence of muscle cramps, rigidity of the joints and the aches and pains associated with staying still for long periods of time. Also, because exercise helps the sufferer to maintain control over many of their gross movements (although maybe not the tremors) it gives them a heightened sense of achievement and so stress and anxiety levels remain low. Keeping a positive mental attitude is incredibly important in conditions like Parkinson’s disease where sufferer can very easily become frustrated and discouraged with their predicament.

As with all exercise routines, the patient should start with a good warm up followed by the exercise activity of their choice or which has been scheduled for that day, and then they should finish with a positive cool down so that the chances of developing muscle cramps and injuries are greatly reduced. An exercise session should ideally last around 15-20 minutes and should not by any means exhaust the patient. Overexertion can be equally as damaging to a Parkinson’s sufferer as no exercise at all.

In order to make daily exercise more appealing and less of a chore it may be worth trying to find a friend or relative that is willing to exercise with the patient. Also, a bit of variety in the type of exercise will not only mean that the exercise stays interesting but it will also ensure that all muscles and joints of the body are used to a satisfactory level.

Can Regular Yoga “Cure” Diseases?

By Michael Hutch PhD

Various forms of yoga have been scientifically shown to handle and perhaps even “remedy” various persistent diseases. Listed below are various medical issues that have been proved scientifically to be improved by yoga.

Asthma: Yoga breathing exercises possibly could assist sufferers of mild asthma and may help decrease their use of low-dose drug inhalers in wheezing attacks. Researchers from the Respiratory Medicine Unit, City University, Nottingham, call for added studies of ways of improving breathing mastery which they say have been largely unheeded by Western medicine. while yoga practitioners have long believed in the benefits of pranayama breathing exercises for asthmatics, this has been difficult to examine formally. But, using a Pink City lung – a device that imposes slow breathing on the user and can mimic pranayama breathing exercises – it was possible to measure the effects of controlled breathing in a hospital test. Two simulated pranayama exercises were tested: slow deep breathing and breathing out for twice as long as breathing in. In asthma, the airways become restricted making breathing difficult. It is increasing in the UK, with more than three million children and adults affected, and are responsible for 2,000 deaths annually. The doctors used standard clinical tests to measure the volume of air patients were able to blow out in a second and to test the irritability of their airways. After yoga, their airways were two times less irritable.

Parkinson’s disease: Yoga has a key purpose in management of Parkinson’s as it has emerged as a helpful alternate therapy and an ideal mode of exercise for Parkinson’s patients because of its gradual movements. Following the steps mentioned below could successfully help individuals with Parkinson’s: 1. Concentrate on controlling your breath (Pranayama) as this brand of yoga helps in moments of panic – such as feet sticking to the flooring when walking. In this form of yoga, the mind is always watchful. 2. Few yoga exercises like back strengthening postures, lots of shoulder movements, breathing practices and some meditation positively helps. 3. One of the most useful forms of yoga used for Parkinson’s is Ashtanga Yoga. It works to strengthen the body and perform increases blood circulation. 4. day-to-day practice of yoga is all-important since Parkinson’s itself does not inevitably weaken the muscles. Weakening of muscles is ordinarily caused by lack of motion. Daily exercise should be encouraged, but not enough to generate tiredness. 5. Parkinson’s also result in the loss of motility of the facial muscles. Pranayama and supplementary yoga movements could aid in relaxing those muscles and bring a smile on the face of the patient.

Diabetes: Diabetes in a lot of forms affects up to 5percent of the world population with 12 million diabetics in Western Europe alone. Of the unique ways in which diabetes presents, noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) is probably the most usually encountered genetic condition. NIDDM or Type II diabetes is multifactorial, depending also on environmental factors including obesity, sedentary lifestyles and nutritional imbalances. One of the studies conducted to cure diabetes was the one set up by the Yoga Biomedical Trust, founded in 1982 by biochemist Dr Robin Monro, and an Indian yoga research foundation which discovered that practicing yoga for 30 minutes a day for one month helped reduce blood glucose levels in some diabetics.The yoga patients took part in one or two 90-minute sessions a week and were asked to practise at home. The classes included the particular yoga exercises of the spinal twist, the bow and abdominal breathing. At the conclusion of the 12 weeks blood sugar levels fell significantly in all patients in the group and were slightly raised in a control group which had not joined in the yoga sessions. Three yoga students managed to cutback their medication, including one man who had not altered his drug regimen for 20 years. It is not necessarily the exercise element of the yoga therapy package which is most significant, as there is not adequate physical exercise to account for the changes, but stress decrease has a lot to do with it. Stress hormones increase sugar levels in the blood. individuals also benefit from the stabilisation of their moods which yoga brings, an increased perception of well-being and a belief of being more in mastery, which may assist with their diet control and consequently their diabetes.

Dancing for all ages at Dennis Senior Center

SOUTH DENNIS - Alyce Potvin, 97, grimaced and waved to the reporter entering the room. Potvin, along with six other senior citizens with more than 80 birthdays behind them, were “dancing” to the music Golden Age Society director Avis Kaeselau had playing.

“We talk, we have lunch, we exercise. It’s fun here,” said Potvin, who had impishly skirted the senior center’s van destined for her biweekly group. Instead, she first opted to grocery shop at Patriot Square. “Have you ever tasted this?” she asked of a bottle of country French salad dressing. “I thought I’d try it. I like salads. Don’t eat much of anything else these days.”

Although Potvin wouldn’t say if her dietary preferences are the secret to longevity, she walks unassisted and is happy to participate in the Golden Age Society. “It’s just what the doctor ordered,” she said, giggling since her doctor had ordered no such thing.

Following lunch on a recent Friday, the group was exercising under Kaeselau’s direction. “Tighten your knee and stick your other foot out,” she encouraged. “OK, Dottie, you’re doing great. Ten more beats, then you can rest.”

The five women and two men come every Tuesday and Friday to enjoy time together. They help and encourage each other, sensitive to the various needs that accompany age.

“I have a dream, a song to sing, it helps me cope with everything,” sang Abba, as the group of seniors rotated their arms and ankles. “This will help keep you stable,” Kaeselau said, encouraging them to reach further.

As the workout proceeded, it became clear that one woman needed assistance, and it came quickly. “OK, you’re OK now,” Kaeselau said. Relief washed over the others as they continued the routine. “Now let’s end it gently by walking in place,” Kaeselau encouraged.
“Such exercise!” said Don, a man well into his 80s.

In her heyday, Roberta “Bobby” Guarante, was in the WAVES during World War II. Asked if she enjoyed dancing with the GIs, Guarante said, “I love to dance, but I’m not good at it.” Others shared their dancing backgrounds, including Dottie Glidden of South Dennis, who said she met her husband 50 years ago at Kimball’s Starlight Ballroom, just outside Wakefield.

As the group scattered for their return home on the senior center’s van, Potvin said, “It’s nice to come here. You meet lots of people your own age who understand you.”

Kaeselau said the program prevents isolation. “Most of them don’t drive anymore, they live alone or with children or a spouse. They have different degrees of mental and physical limitations, but they enjoy this program at whatever level they’re able to participate.”

Kaeselau, who in 1972 became Massachusetts’ first female emergency medical technician, is prepared for any medical emergencies that may occur during the 4-hour program. “They’re very safe with me,” she said.

Baby-boomer opportunities
The Dennis Senior Center offers many weekday programs for retired folks. These range from opportunities to play bridge, mahjongg and cribbage with other like-minded folks to learning to paint, operate computers, cane chairs and build model ships.

Designed for younger seniors still working, offerings include Mary Jane Doonan’s tap-dancing classes beginning at 5 p.m. Mondays.

With students ranging from 50 to 78, Doonan offers beginner and intermediate tap classes. “The intermediates are a combination of people who started with me five or six years ago and moved up and those who excelled at tapping as children and have returned in their later years,” Noonan said.

The classes are an opportunity for women to exercise together to music. One dancer’s pedometer testifies to burning about 500 calories per hour.

“People can come with leather-sole shoes for the first classes because tap shoes are expensive, and I want them to be sure they want to continue before investing in shoes,” Noonan said.

One tapper, a former ballerina who has Parkinson’s disease, finds that her body moves fine during classes, Noonan said.

Noonan’s tappers perform at Cape and off-Cape venues, but those who are shy are not forced to travel with the group. “Some ladies auditioned for the National AARP convention at the Boston Civic Center,” Noonan said. “About 100 groups auditioned, and 20 were selected. My girls and I were selected, and we performed all three nights.”

Tap-dancing keeps women in mental and physical shape. “It’s also good for memory, because you need to recall your steps,” Noonan said.

A square dancing group convenes Tuesdays at 7 p.m. Dancer Johanna d’Entremont, who serves as the group’s secretary, said this is the only square dancing group this side of the bridge, gathering participants from across the Cape.

Some come in costume, but most square dancers wear casual attire. “Some of our women have learned the man’s part because sometimes we’re short of men,” d’Entremont said. “Square dancing is excellent exercise and it’s a wonderful way to socialize, to meet people who share an interest.”

D’Entremont and her husband got involved in the group through Vida and Dan Demale, a couple in their 80s. “I took a computer class at the Eastham Senior Center and Vida recruited me,” she said. “They picked us up, brought us to Dennis, and that was it. We’re hooked!”