Skip to main content

In the 21st century, physical therapists (PTs) are tapping into many forms of participatory entertainment to help their patients. Many are using music in a variety of ways. Some PTs evoke vaudeville acts for senior citizens with memory impairment. Some even practice magic to improve patients' gross motor function, improve strength and balance, and relieve pain.

Feature -  Entertainmenrt

Employing the performing arts in physical therapist practice can be rewarding for patients and clinicians alike. Since motivation is important to clinical success, the motivating power of the arts can help produce quicker healing.

Log in or create a free account to keep reading.


Join APTA to get unlimited access to content.

  1. Duncan RP, Earhart GM. Randomized controlled trial of community-based dancing to modify disease progression in Parkinson Disease. Neurorehabil Neural Repair. 2012;26(2):132-143.
  2. McNeely ME, Mai MM, Duncan RP, et al. Differential effects of tango versus dance for PD in Parkinson disease. Front Aging Neurosci. 2015 Dec 21;7:239.
  3. Rawson KS, McNeely ME, Duncan RP, et al. Exercise and Parkinson disease: comparing tango, treadmill, and stretching. J Neurol Phys Ther. 2019 Jan;43(1):26-32.
  4. Seidler KJ, Duncan RP, McNeely ME, et al. Feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a telerehabilitation approach to group adapted tango instruction for people with Parkinson disease. J Telemed Telecare. 2017 Sep;23(8):740-746.
  5. McNeely ME, Duncan RP, Earhart GM. Impacts of dance on non-motor symptoms, participation, and quality of life in Parkinson disease and healthy older adults. Maturitas. 2015 Dec;82(4):336-341.
  6. McNeely ME, Duncan RP, Earhart GM. A comparison of dance interventions in people with Parkinson disease and older adults. Maturitas. 2015 May;81(1):10-16.
  7. Duncan RP, Earhart GM. Are the effects of community-based dance on Parkinson disease severity, balance, and functional mobility reduced with time? A 2-year prospective pilot study. J Altern Complement Med. 2014 Oct;20(10):757-763.
  8. Montinari MR, Giardina S, Minelli P, et al. History of music therapy and its contemporary applications in cardiovascular diseases. South Med J. 2018 Feb;111(2):98-102.
  9. Koelsch S, Jäncke L. Music and the heart. Eur Heart J. 2015 Nov 21;36(44):3043-3049.
  10. Mollakazemi MJ, Biswal D, Evans J, et al. Eigen decomposition of cardiac synchronous EEGs for investigation of neural effects of tempo and cognition of songs. Conf Proc IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. 2018 Jul;2018:2402-2405.
  11. Baylan S, McGinlay M, MacDonald M, et al. Participants' experiences of music, mindful music, and audiobook listening interventions for people recovering from stroke. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2018 May 4. doi: 10.1111/nyas.13618. [Epub ahead of print].
  12. Bernardi NF, Snow S, Peretz I, et al. Cardiorespiratory optimization during improvised singing and toning. Sci Rep. 2017 Aug 14;7(1):8113.
  13. Harrison EC, McNeely ME, Earhart GM. The feasibility of singing to improve gait in Parkinson disease. Gait Posture. 2017;53:224-229.
  14. Lam MT, Lam HR, Lalit C. Application of magic in healthcare: a scoping review. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2017(26):5-11.
  15. Project Magic. https://projectmagic.org/. Accessed January 19, 2019.
  16. The American Occupational Therapy Association. Health Advocate Recipients. https://www.aota.org/Education-Careers/Awards/Recipients/Health-Advocate.aspx. Accessed January 19, 2019.
  17. Breathe Magic: Where medical meets magical. http://breatheahr.org/breathe-magic/. Accessed April 9, 2019.
  18. Open Heart Magic. Magic University: Preparing Volunteers to be Successful With Kids in Hospitals. https://openheartmagic.org/about-us/. Accessed January 19, 2019.

You Might Also Like...

News

APTA Report Points to Hiring Challenges for Outpatient Practices Amid Growth

Oct 16, 2024

A new report from APTA and APTA Private Practice can help you better understand the current hiring environment for PTs and PTAs.

Review

PTJ: Lower School Debt, Fewer Working Hours Tied to Higher Job Satisfaction

Aug 22, 2023

Researchers also found that home health and SNF practice settings were associated with lower job satisfaction.

News

Seminal APTA Guide to PT Practice Gets an Update

Apr 12, 2023

The physical therapy profession has evolved, and so has its foundational resource.