Treating Parkinson’s might be summarized as finding the right movement.

Hear me out.

On the one hand, we have a movement-driven disease. Parkinson’s disease primarily affects motor skills which you see manifested as tremors, rigidity, and slowed movements.

On the other hand, we see an alternative candidate for helping these patients with music therapy, tailored to working with their motions. For these patients, music therapy regulates and synchronizes their movements by giving the brain rhythmic cues to follow. It restores the rhythm of the body and mind.

Music therapy brings the “beat” back to Parkinson’s patients.

It sounds good in theory, but does it actually work?

Here’s what you need to know.

From tremors to treatment options

Parkinson’s disease is a neurological disorder, meaning it affects the nervous system, particularly parts of the brain responsible for controlling movements.

The brain cells that produce dopamine start to die off so they can’t ensure a steady and controlled movement. The body’s movement controls become less responsive and more unpredictable. People with the disease might have trouble starting movements or performing simple tasks, just like a car with a faulty engine might hesitate before it gets going.

You’ll see people with the disorder experiencing tremors (i.e. shaky hands), stiffness, and difficulty with balance and coordination.

The worst part is that it’s progressive. It gets worse over time. It’s the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer and around 10 million people around the world have the disease.

Sadly, it can’t be cured (still). But with the right meditation and therapy, many people with Parkinson’s can manage their symptoms and maintain a good quality of life.

And here comes music therapy with a helping hand.

Music therapy

Now imagine music as a set of tools that can help these patients move and feel better. Their brains have trouble sending the right messages to the muscles, which makes movements slow or stiff. By using rhythms and melodies, music therapy helps the brain find alternative pathways to communicate with the body.

Patients will listen to music, play instruments, and work on rhythm, to improve how they walk, move, and even speak.

So what does the research say?

Let’s start with the case of Art Grell, a 67-year-old man diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. He’s part of the 2% group of people over the age of 60 that got the disease.

At the Struthers Parkinson’s Center in Golden Valley, music therapist Sandi Holten works with Parkinson’s patients like Grell, employing music therapy to help them loosen up, get their bodies moving, and exercise muscles, especially in their legs.

Grell, who speaks with a faint voice, sees the benefits of working with Holten not only for his body but also to uplift his spirits. The center’s research claims it improves physical functions in 80% of patients.

That’s one case.

What about the use of music therapy throughout the years?

A group of researchers from different universities in Spain wanted to see how effective is music therapy in treating Parkinson’s disease. They systematically reviewed 281 articles between 2015 and 2020, but only 58 made the cut.

Now Parkinson’s disease is not only about shaking and movement. Yes, it affects your motor skills, but it also influences your ability to communicate your emotions and your cognitive functions.

In these 58 studies, the scientists found multiple benefits of using music therapy to help Parkinson’s patients:

• Improved movements: music therapy improves gait parameters like step length and speed, which is particularly helpful in reducing falls and improving overall mobility. Music helps patients keep moving better.

• Communication boost: singing and music-based interventions improve speech clarity, vocal intensity, and respiratory control, which are essential for clearer communication. Think of it as fine-tuning your vocal cords.

• Higher emotional well-being: music therapy alleviated symptoms of depression and enhanced overall mood. They were essentially turning up the volume on happiness.

• Cognitive enhancement: music therapy improved the patient’s memory, attention, and processing speed. Basically, patients put their brains through a workout with melodies and pumped their mental muscles.

Not only does music therapy help with the main symptoms related to movement, but it also covers other areas of the patient’s life. It allows them to develop a better rhythm for their daily activities and tackles their emotional difficulties as well.

Let’s remember that it’s not only a movement rehabilitation process but an emotional one as well.

Final thoughts

Parkinson’s disease messes with the brain’s ability to choreograph the body’s movements.

One main focus of therapy should be on restoring those movements and music therapy can help in this endeavor. It can reprogram the brain’s circuitry to command those shaky limbs and rigid muscles more effectively.

But it also soothes the soul. It brings some comfort to people’s lives and lifts their spirits.

Music therapy might be a tool that gives patients a chance to march to their own rhythm.