Dancing the Tango is Good for Parkinson’s Patients

Tango lessons – particularly the Argentine tango – can help improve balance and mobility in patients with Parkinson’s. This is according to a study published in the Journal of Neurologic Physical Therapy. Nineteen Parkinson’s patients were randomly allocated to20 tango lessons or 20 exercise classes, being evaluated before and after the ‘interventions’ with an overall disease rating scale, self-reports of freezing of gait, and a simple balance-and-mobility test.

Both groups (tango lessons and exercise classes) showed significant improvements in the overall rating scale. The tango group, in addition, showed significant improvements in the balance test. Finally, the tango group showed a trend to improved Timed-Up-And-Go time, which was not seen in the exercise group.

The fact that tango lessons for these patients can compete, and even improve on, exercise sessions is important, as dancing can be an enormous source of pleasure for many people. It also promotes sociability, and the tango, in particular, may enhance romance among the participants . . .