Alternative Parkinson’s Treatments: Lift Mind, Body and Spirit
Aug 25, 2014 ● By Carrie Jackson
photo by Carrie Jackson
Forty-five minutes of exercise a day is a good goal for anybody trying to stay healthy and active, but for someone with a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease, it may be a lifesaver.
Parkinson’s is a neurological disorder that is degenerative, progressive and incurable. The brain stops producing dopamine, the neurotransmitter that brings messages from the brain that tell the body when and how to move. A number of medications can help manage symptoms such as tremors, bradykinesia (slowed movement) and impaired balance, but they can be costly and side effects are often disagreeable. In recent years, more people with Parkinson’s have been turning to alternative treatments such as exercise, yoga, dance, meditation and singing to alleviate symptoms and actually help reverse the disease.
Sara O’Hare is the Chicago coordinator of Moving Day, a national event sponsored by the National Parkinson’s Foundation (Parkinson.org) that highlights movement and exercise as symbols of hope and progress because of their essential roles in treating Parkinson’s disease. The third annual event, which takes place in Lincoln Park on October 19, features a unique Movement Pavilion, with stations showcasing yoga, Pilates, tai chi, dance and boxing. “Numerous studies are showing that for people with Parkinson’s, exercise is vital for maintaining balance, mobility and daily living activities,” says O’Hare. “It’s recommended that people with early to moderate Parkinson’s disease partake in at least 45 minutes of strenuous exercise, four to five days a week.”
Shaina Young, an exercise physiologist and yoga instructor at Evanston Athletic Club (ChicagoAthleticClubs.com/locations/evanston) with a Master of Science Degree in Exercise Science, says that the emphasis on strenuous exercise, not just casual activity, is relatively new. “It was always understood that activity was good to help improve balance, gait, tremors and overall well-being,” says Young. “But now it’s been proven that people who get their heart rate up for an extended period of time are actually able to utilize dopamine more efficiently and reverse the progression of the disease.”
Young has worked with residents with Parkinson’s in long-term care facilities, and now focuses on yoga and holistic well-being. “A really basic yoga exercise like a tree pose is great,” she notes. “Even if you can’t lift your foot off the ground, you can hold onto a wall or lift your toe off the ground. It’s a really valuable and adaptable pose, and you can adjust it depending on how you’re feeling that day.” In some studies, improvements have been shown after a six-month period of regular activity. “Rotate between walking, biking, the elliptical machine and swimming, or whatever your favorite activities are,” says Young.
Dance is another outlet for people with Parkinson’s disease, with the added benefit that it’s accompanied by music. Erica Hornthal, founder of Deerfield-based North Shore Dance Therapy, Inc. (NorthShoreDanceTherapy.com), is a board-certified dance/movement therapist and licensed clinical professional counselor. A typical session includes a warm-up, followed by movement such as dance, psychosocial games, improvisation or choreography. The session concludes with a cool down to maintain healthy muscles and reduce fatigue, followed by verbal processing to enhance the mind/body connection.
Noah Plotkin is the founder of Life Rhythms, Inc. (LifeRhythmsInc.com) in Highland Park, which facilitates health and wellness in diverse populations through the power of rhythmic music. He is a lifelong musician, but turned to a focus on wellness after he saw the therapeutic effect music had on his grandfather with dementia. Plotkin is an accompanist for the Parkinson’s Project at the Hubbard Street Dance Studio, in Chicago (Tinyurl.com/Parkinson-Project), which uses dance techniques to work to slow the progress of the disease and provide a community of support to their students.
“Live music is a form of medicinal magic,” says Plotkin. “When the students walk in, I can see that they want to feel, they want to move, they want to dance. I can see that the music is easing their minds and creating a peaceful environment. Students will come in shuffling and looking down at the ground, and walk out straight and smiling. There’s no pharmaceuticals involved—the music and motion is a great alternative way to heal.”
Bonnie Jackson, an Evanston resident who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2001, has been dancing in classes at Hubbard for three years. She says, “Dance challenges mind, body and spirit. Remembering the sequence of even the simplest steps may seem impossible at first, but the rhythms of the music draw you in and you find yourself moving with less stiffness and greater pleasure.”
Jackson was so inspired by the community in the dance class that she started a singing group for people with Parkinson’s, whimsically called The NSV (North Shore Village) Croakers. “You don’t have to have a beautifully trained voice to join. We sing for fun.” says Jackson.
Jeffrey Parker is the music director of the Croakers and leads the class that meets every other week in Evanston. “While the focus of the group is musical, it is also about relationships and having a space in which to talk about Parkinson’s,” says Parker. “We include time for discussion of personal news, developments in Parkinson’s research or general banter.”
The group practices the Lee Silverman Technique (LsvtGlobal.com) and other vocal exercises to get warmed up. “These could include making “fire engine” noises, flubbering our lips like a motorcycle or doing tongue calisthenics,” says Parker. “In addition to priming the vocal chords and warming up breath support, the silly and wild-sounding warm-ups are an excellent way to melt away self-consciousness and gather a group cohesiveness.”
Parker points out, “Vocal tremor and difficulty with phonation are very common symptoms in Parkinson’s, and given that so much of our communication and socialization is vocal, this deficit can be debilitating in a profound way. However, research indicates that continued exercise of the vocal mechanism in people with Parkinson’s helps to maintain vocal 
function and delay the onset of symptoms.”
Young and Hornthal stress that it’s important to assess how patients feel on any given day and choose their activity level accordingly. “I encourage individuals to activate the mind and body, as they are connected,” says Hornthal. “Find someone to talk to such as a therapist, or support group about your situation. Psychological health is of equal importance when dealing with a physical complication.”
Jackson attests that regularly participating in activities such as singing, dance, yoga and exercise has greatly improved her quality of life. “Sometimes my body or voice doesn’t work the way I want them too, but that’s okay,” she says. “Being able to laugh about it with other people helps me stay positive and keeps me challenging myself.”
Carrie Jackson is a frequent contributor to Natural Awakenings Chicago.
