Physicians embrace Argentine tango to help treat various conditions

[Demetrius]

Et cetera: Physicians embrace Argentine tango to help treat various
conditions

09/10/2009


Physicians around the world are turning to the Argentine tango to
treat patients with conditions ranging from Alzheimer’s to Parkinson’s
disease, in addition to phobias and marital problems, Reuters reports.
The chairman of the International Association of Tango Therapy (IATT)
explains that the many elements of the dance can be used to help
specific patients. For example, focusing on learning the eight basic
steps helped Alzheimer’s patients in Britain improve their memory.

Meanwhile, focusing on the tango walk—which the IATT chairman says
“requires so much grace and rigidity”—may help patients with
Parkinson’s, a claim that is supported by research from scientists at
the University of Washington School of Medicine who found Parkinson's
patients’ balance improved when they took tango lessons. Reuters also
notes that Italian therapists are focusing on “the trust needed for
the tango's tight embrace and its backward walk” in couple's
counseling.

In the dance’s country of origin, a weekly tango class at Borda
Hospital, a psychiatric facility in Buenos Aires, has helped patients
relax and enjoy themselves while feeling more comfortable in the
hospital environment. The class’s teacher, a psychologist, adds that
many class participants have also responded by improving their
appearance and personal hygiene. Commenting on dance therapy’s
success, she notes that “treatment is not just about therapy and
drugs,” and suggests that the dance has helped remove barriers between
patients and staff (Henao, Reuters, 8/31 ).