5.+Dance+Movement+Therapy

= = = Alternative Interventions = = Dance Movement Therapy: **--- **  = = =

Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) has recently been recognized as a very unique and effective form of treatment for a multitude of different physical and psychological ailments related to depression, cancer, AIDS, ADHD, cardiac disease, autism, post-traumatic stress and different forms of neurological impairments to name a few (Soriano & Batson, 2011;Jeong & Hong, 2005) . There is a growing body of evidence supporting the efficacy of DMT which includes scientific research, clinical trials, as well as very enthusiastic testimonials from patients who have experienced improvements in functioning first-hand (Soriano & Baston, 2011). Researchers Soriano and Baston listed some of the improvements particularly related to Parkinson`s Disease that have been observed such as balance, gait, the ability to halt movement, and an overall decline in disease severity. It has also been noted that specific types of dance and movement work to improve certain areas of functioning, for example:
 *  Tango - Static balance, balance confidence, gait and freezing episodes, (Hackney and Earhart 2009)
 *  Modern Dance - psychophysical improvements on health-related quality of life, (Ying 2010)
 *  Contact Improvisation - improvements of disease severity and motor skills, (Marchant, Sylvester and Eahart 2010)



Gammon, a specialist in Parkinson's research attributes the improvements of motor skill to various components of dance (2009). For one, the specific, repetitive movements involved with dancing such as moving backwards, turning, increasing or decreasing speed, etc. provide patients with an opportunity to practice their movements (Gammon, 2009). Gammon also found that dance provides auditory, somatosensory and visual cues that help to improve movement (2009). As it was mentioned earlier, Parkinson`s neuropathology is related to the basal ganglia and insufficient levels of dopamine in the brain. The cues that a dancer receives be it through music, or through visual or physical cues from their partner use alternate pathways to encourage movement that do not include the basal ganglia, (such as the supplementary motor area or the premotor cortex) (Gammon, 2009). Gammon stated that dance also requires participants to multi-task, as they must cognitively process the music that is being played and their dance routines as they navigate their way through the dance floor (2009). Lastly, it improves focus and attention of movement in dancers which helps to improve performance (Gammon, 2009).

Much is still unknown about the pharmacological mechanisms behind these improvements in motor activity and there is speculation about the inner workings of brain functioning when dance is involved. Clinicians, researchers and dance instructors attribute much of DMT's successes to both the __exercise__ and __musical__ aspects of dance. Both components are known to increase overall health and well being for many different reasons, but it is their effects on the brain's endogenous supply of dopamine that can help to explain why and how DMT is able to mediate Parkinson's symptoms as effectively as it does (Soriano & Batson, 2011).


 * YOUTUBE VIDEOS - The Effectiveness of DMT: **

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