Express Yourself! The Parkinson's Brain on Improv
The first rule of Parkinson’s disease (PD) treatment, at least where I live, is to take medicine.
Next, exercise may or may not be mentioned in the doctor’s office but will certainly be recommended quickly by others who have Parkinson’s. Cardiorespiratory exercise and resistance training are fundamental. Yoga, balance training, and tai chi may also be advised for their positive effect on helping neural pathways.
The complementary therapies most likely recommended, as needed, are physical, occupational and speech-language. Alternative therapies may be discussed, especially in support groups or online blogs and forums by people with PD for people with PD. The first that come to my mind are massage, chiropractic, dry needling, acupuncture, and biofeedback.
Expressive therapies
Then there are expressive therapies. These approaches feature creativity in many forms: art, dance, drama, music, and writing. Each of these calls on participants to express themselves in unique ways.
Research efforts look at the neuroscience of expressive therapies in regard to helping persons with chronic illnesses like Parkinson’s. Benefits in activities of daily living were reported from one project.1
One of the many online expressive therapy classes that cropped up during the pandemic brightened many of my days. I am glad I said "yes!" to an improv class invitation with a small group of persons with PD.
The teacher/director was Robert Cochrane, a PhD candidate whose father has PD. Robert’s dissertation is a study of the effect of improvisation on Parkinson’s disease.
What is improv?
Improvisation, or improv, features unplanned, collaborative responses between scene partners. If there is only 1 premise, it is that laughter makes us feel better and improv makes us laugh.
The laughter is organic, sprouting from the scene as participants build it together, and never at the expense of anyone else. Gratefully, no experience is required and anyone can participate.
Why do it?
Along the way I learned more about being in the present moment, understanding my role in relation to those around me, listening to others, and making others look good by saying or implying "yes, and!" instead of saying "yes, but..." I saw improv improve self-awareness, teamwork, and problem-solving.
Increases in respiration and blood flow and reductions in blood pressure, cortisol and adrenaline have been identified among the possible physical benefits of laughter. It is as if improv says, "stress hormones be gone!" and reinforces the saying, "laughter is the best medicine."2
No mistakes
My favorite thing about improv is that there are no mistakes. Tremor, shuffles, stuttering, and any other problem due to PD do not interfere with improv. They can even make it better as one grows to understand the significance of "yes, and."
That phrase was put into practice in our sessions like this: "Yes, I have PD and here is what I am going to do because of it." That regular acceptance and commitment to being present and active in the moment provided instant and lasting mood boosts.
I found that trying improv improved my quality of life by boosting confidence and deepening friendships with others with PD. Whether "try it, you’ll like it" or "just do it" speaks to you – say "Yes" to an Improv class near you. Check MeetUp.com or similar sites to find one.
Check it out
If you have never seen improv in action you can watch online episodes of "Whose Line is it Anyway?” on YouTube.
You can also read Tina Fey’s, "Rules of Improvisation That Will Change Your Life and Reduce Belly Fat*" from her book Bossypants.
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