Ever wonder whether music therapy can help offer relief from the symptoms of Parkinson’s? The answer is yes! Therein lies the potential that music provides a huge benefit which can help sustain health and wellness. on Blog Talk Rad

Dr. Wendy Magee Ph.D. is the International Fellow in Music Therapy at the Institute of Neuropalliative Rehabilitation, Royal Hospital for Neuro-Disability in London, England. Dr. Magee discusses her extensive research using music to help persons with chronic illness and more specifically with the symptoms of Parkinsons.

My interview with Dr. Wendy Magee, international expert on music therapy from the Institute of Neuropalliative Rehabilitation in London, is posted next. The website link she refers to in the interview is: https://www.rhn.org.uk/

The Institute of Neuropalliative Rehabilitation is home to an informative website about the use of music for people living with acquired neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, stroke and other acquired brain injuries. The website outlines the work of the Music Therapy Neurology Network, a global virtual network which shares information and knowledge about music and neurology.

Anyone is welcome to join this network – whether music therapist professional, person with neurological illness, carer or research/clinical professional interested in music and neurology. Although the website content is currently largely geared to professionals, new pages will be added in the near future specifically for people living with neurological illness and their carers. The website has a a wealth of information on published research on Music and neurology, links to Music Therapy organizations around the world, and links to other websites on music and neurology.

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Founder 2004
Parkinsons Recovery

Hi Robert, some weeks ago  I sent you a mail telling you my method to improve my walking especially in ff times.  Here is a short video showing me first walking without the music – then  afterwards walking with music.

You can very well see in this video the result on my walking when I listen with concentration to  the music. I would love other PD persons having problems with walking to have the same possibility of walking much better and for a Long time. The music has to be very Rhythmik with about 105 Beats per minute on the Metronom.

There is no medicine that can make me walk immediately – so I ask myself why nobody prescribes the Radetzky March to me ……….

What do you think about the result ?

Gerdi

Response:

This amazing video speaks for itself! If you have any questions, Gerdi invites you to email her directly if you need more information about this natural, safe, fun and 100% effective solution :  gerdi@barnstorf.at

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Pioneers of Recovery
http://www.pioneersofrecovery.com

[flashvideo filename=videos/Gerdi1.flv image=videos/Gerdi1.jpg /]

I  got Parkinson’s disease 18 years ago and have decided to get rid of it !!!! I have started to seriously practice chineng qi-gong and hope I will be able to reduce my medication soon. I do not have the shivering version of PD but the moving disorder. In off times I can hardly walk but under medication I am doing not so bad.

I have developed a very interesting  way of being able to walk when I can`t walk. it is listening with mp3 player to specially rhythmic music at 104 metronome beats per minute  like the Radetzky march by Strauss.

I concentrate on the music and I start as if  everything would be normal. Other people should try it. My experience of walking  with marching music has been really incredible because there is no  medicine that would make it possible for me to walk immediately during an off period.

Gerdi

Thanks for giving me permission to post your most fascinating report of how music makes it possible to you to walk during your off periods.  How cool is that!

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Pioneers of Recovery
www.pioneersofrecovery.com

Comment:

I have a little experience with music therapy. Last Winter, I happened to meet someone who studies music therapy, and he believed that it can help any condition. I did a little search on this and found that lively music is good for people with Parkinson’s.  This particular article said not to expect results right away.

I found a radio station that had lively music most of the time and listened in the car for a few months. That was a start but not a very satisfactory one because I didn’t enjoy the music. Then, someone gave me a CD of dulcimers and string band, which I liked and found delightful. Much of it is “toe-tapping”, so I would want to tap my foot, my left foot, which is my affected side, drawing forth a response.
 
I believe that the tapping got better over time because it was uncomfortable at first, and then it gradually became more fun. My neurologist had given me an article about music and Parkinson’s. It made one point: that the responses to music are spontaneous, and that the “letting go” response is different from the attempt at conscious effort. People with Parkinson’s can get up and dance when asked (if they like dancing), whereas the same people might have difficulty doing many things.

I did some conscious toe-tapping in the car to the dulcimer music, but it was better when it “just happened,” giving that automatic response some exercise. One of my neurologist’s tests is lifting the (left) heel off the floor rapidly. I did that better for him on my last visit, and we both noticed that I did it more strongly and more easily. Thanks for always empasizing symptoms instead of a disease.

I received encouragement today on my walking. For the last two times going out, I noticed some “going back” of my left arm as well as the little bit forward. The back swing was new. Today, some REAL forward motion, that I did not produce, kicked in.
 
I so appreciate the doors that you have opened to me.
 
Alan