Dancing it can be an excellent way to recover from chemotherapy.
That is according to a new research from the Integral Cancer Center of Ohio State University, which found that dance tango can increase neurological recovery in cancer patients by reducing persistent symptoms of chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy induced neuropathy (CIN) is a condition that can occur anywhere throughout the body, but mostly affects the hands, feet and limbs, according to a Press statement from OSU.
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Eighty percent of breast cancer survivors experience Cin, which can cause pain, falls, difficulty walking and decreasing the quality of life, experts say.
The Daance study evaluated how adapted Argentine tango can help restore mobility and relieve symptoms such as numbness, ardor, tingling and loss of feeling in these problematic areas.
The study, led by Lise Worthen-Chaudhari, PHD, a scientist at the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation of OSU, was funded by the National Institute on Aging.
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Worthen-Chaudhari, a former dancer, expressed the need for alternative treatment options for CIN.
The researcher and his team designed the study for breast cancer survivors who experienced CIN who had received their last chemotherapy treatment at least three months before.
In the early stages of the study, the researchers found that small doses of social dance improved the double task function compared to larger doses of home exercise.
This could be due to the cognitive participation of the functioning of the double task, the researchers concluded.
Only 20 minutes of social dance several times a week could begin to “recover the neuropathways that have been affected by the treatment of cancer,” according to Worthen-Chaudhari.
Preliminary data also show that dancing tango can lead to balance improvements, cognitive function, motor function and symptoms of neuropathy.
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The rhythm of the Argentine tango, with 120 beats per minute, helps to activate a “neural phenomenon” called “drag”, where “two or more oscillating systems (such as brain waves or behaviors) are aligned,” the researchers said.
Given the ideal cadence of Tango, Worthen-Chaudhari told Fox News Digital that “it made sense” to make the dance a couple of times a week would offer positive effects of “movement, rhythmic drag and social connection, immediately, in a way that promoted recovery more than any of those elements in isolation.”
The pilot’s data show that this repetitive and slow music to walk help again to map the nerves damaged by chemotherapy, he added.
Other institutions have also reported success in balance and cognition after using tango adapted with patients with Parkinson’s disease.
This therapy could help people with other conditions, such as diabetes, dementia, neurodegenerative diseases and general aging, Worthen-Chaudhari said.
An expanded five -year study will continue to investigate the double task performance, with plans to recruit 140 breast cancer survivors at the OSU Cancer Center.
Researchers will explore whether the effects of tango therapy can be sustained over time to improve movement and cognitive functions.
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“In essence, this work is about helping survivors to recover their lives and prosper, instead of simply surviving,” Worthen-Chaudhari wrote in the statement.
“It is about providing them with a fun and effective way to improve their sensory motor skills and reduce the fear of falling, ultimately, improving their general well -being.”
Worthen-Chaudhari shared that he was “delighted” to discover that tango with a friend could work as well as exercising to relieve these symptoms.
“I wanted to know if Tango could do more than avoid the decline … if I could stimulate the neuro-recruitment among those who try to recover from neuro-trauma,” he told Fox News Digital.
“I am excited about an option that does not need to sweat, so you have to shower before working or going to dinner.”
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“In retrospect, I can see that it makes sense, but I was surprised that the results were clear even in an initial study of the idea,” added the scientist.
She said: “There is hope of recovering from the beating that cancer gives her body, brain and nerves.”
