So many patients tell us that it is difficult to
stay committed to physical therapy because
it is hard and feels like work. We’ve show that
Argentine Tango has measurable effects on
balance — but our patients report really enjoying dance as therapy. It is a fun, social way
to do the necessary work and our initial data
shows it has some positive impact for restoring balance.
— Mimi Lamantia
The study looked at changes in patients’ motor abilities following a twelve week tango course. It is the
first study to assess the effect that tango has on
non-motor symptoms.
The initial data from the first patients who participated in this study will be presented in November at
American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine.
This presentation will provide evidence regarding
whether cancer survivors find a tango-based intervention to be feasible for balance improvement.
We show that after just five weeks of Argentine tango, medial and lateral sway
decreased by 56 percent indicating that
this is a promising balance intervention
for cancer survivors experiencing impaired
balance post treatment. ... I have personally witnessed the immeasurable joy, confidence and enhanced quality of movement
in each tango dancer over the course of
ten weeks. ... It is a fun, social way to
do the necessary work and our initial
data shows it has some positive impact
for restoring balance, ... We show that
after just five weeks of Argentine tango,
medial and lateral sway decreased by 56
per cent indicating that this is a promising balance intervention for cancer survivors experiencing impaired balance
post treatment
Tango may be particularly helpful for improving balance and functional mobility in patients with Parkinsons. Tango involves rhythmic walking forward
and backward. This may be particularly helpful for
patients with walking difficulties, especially for those
susceptible to freezing of gait and backward falls. In
addition, tango requires working memory, control
of attention, and multitasking to incorporate newly
learned with previously learned dance movements.
always staying in rhythm with the music, and maneuver around others on the dance floor.
— Mimi Lamantia The study looked at whether a social and physical
activity linked to tango music could have possible
Believe it or not, recent research shows that learning therapeutic value for Parkinsons’ patients who charthe tango can help people with Parkinson’s Disease acteristically suffer from motor dysfunctions, such
move more freely in their daily lives! In Montreal, a as tremor, rigidity, gait dysfunction, as well as from
new study has shown that tango dancing could ben- non-motor symptoms, such as depression, fatigue
efit Parkinson’s disease patients Dancing the tango and cognitive degeneration. Forty men and women
appears to have benefits for people at certain stages with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease participated in
in the development of Parkinson’s disease, according the study.The study involved studio classes with two
to findings in a new study by researchers at the Mon- professional dance instructors. Patients came from
treal Neurological Institute, the Neuro Hospital the Movement Disorders Clinics of the McGill
of McGill University and the Research Institute University Health Centre.
of the McGill University Health Centre.
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