Occupational
therapists have a vast scope of practice and knowledge specific to occupations,
this enables them to bring an occupational perspective to any situation and
address occupational issues. (Christian & Townsend, 2010). As addressed in
the earlier posts Parkinson’s disease effects the occupations that people can
carry out and participate in, so therefore an occupational therapist should be
involved in finding solutions to these occupational issues.
Occupational therapists aim to empower people with Parkinson’s
to participate in everyday tasks, and adapt those tasks to reduce barriers and
enhance their quality of life. (EPDA,2013). Using dance for people living with
Parkinson’s is a way to enhance physical wellbeing by improving motor skills, strength,
balance and cardiovascular fitness; it also influences quality of life due to
its fun and social environment. (Hogan, 2010). Occupational therapists should also focus on promoting
mobility and present opportunities to participate in community life. (Aragon
& King, 2010).
Providing intrinsic
and extrinsic cues for those living with Parkinson’s is vital when promoting
functional abilities from an occupational therapy perspective, such as
visualisation, mental rehearsal, music and movement and verbal commands. (Aragon
& King, 2010). These
intrinsic and extrinsic cues occur throughout a dance class, promoting the use
of dance within an intervention programme for people living with Parkinson’s.
It is also important for occupational
therapists to explore social, recreational and leisure activities that promote
physical and mental well-being. (Aragon & King,
2010). Dance can be utilised to help a
person express difficulties of the disease and gain support from others in
similar situations to them, in a relaxed environment while keeping physically
active. (EPDA ,2013). References:
Aragon, A., & King, J. (2010). Occupational therapy for people with Parkinson’s: Best practice guidelines. London: College of Occupational therapists.
Christiansen, C., & Townsend, E. (2010). Introduction to occupation: The art and science of living. (2ed). New Jersey, United States of America: Pearson Education Inc.
EPDA. (2013). European Parkinson’s
Disease Association. Retrieved from http://www.epda.eu.com/en/parkinsons/in-depth/managing-your-parkinsons/quality-of-life/creative-therapies/dance-movement-therapy/dance-parkinsons/
Gendle, E. (2012).
We’re fools whether we dance or not, so we may as well dance. International Journal of Therapy and
Rehabilitation, 19 (3), 127.
Hogan, P. (2010). More evidence on the value of
dance. Running & Fitnews, 28(1), 9-10.
Hi Madison,
ReplyDeleteDo you believe the physical fulfillment that dance gives us - like strengthening muscle and coordination etc, is more important than the mental fulfillment - the positivity and happiness gained from it? Or do they hold a balanced importance?
Kind regards,
Hannah S
Hello there Hannah, I truly feel that everyone ties different meaning to things for different reasons personal to them, it is a subjective view. So therefore in my opinion the benefits that are most important to someone maybe different for another. For me personally the happiness, sense of purpose and social interaction I receive from participating in dance out ways the physical benefits making it so meaningful to me. However someone with Parkinson's who has problems with balance and has developed a fear of falling may gain so much more meaning from the fact that they are working on their muscles, gaining confidence and reducing that fear of falling.
ReplyDeletei was diagnosed of parkinson disease 5 years ago,i started azilect,then mirapex as the disease progressed in february last year,and i started on parkinson disease Herbal medicine from ultimate herbal home,few months into the treatment i made a significant recovery,almost all my symptoms are gone,great improvement with my movement and balance,it been a year and life has been so good for me,contact them at ultimatehealthhome@gmail.com
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