Parkinson’s: Singing as an accompanying therapy

Singing together as a therapy for Parkinson’s is an increasingly popular approach – even in this country. In some countries, such as England or Ireland, there are already locations across the country where those affected come together and sing together in a choir. It’s not about perfection, but about singing itself. The positive effects are astounding – both those mentioned by participants and those resulting from initial studies: Singing together has the potential to alleviate linguistic symptoms of the disease in particular, including unintelligible pronunciation and speaking too quietly or monotonously.

Read more about the beneficial effects of singing regularly with other people suffering from chronic illnesses. Music has the power to restore strength to your voice and bring more joy and optimism into your life.

What speech disorders occur with Parkinson’s?

During the course of Parkinson’s disease, patients increasingly struggle with speech problems. This reduces the patient’s quality of life and often leads to depressive moods. They are often partly responsible for those affected withdrawing from social life out of shame and fear and suffering from loneliness. The following speech disorders are often a problem for patients with Parkinson’s disease:

• The voice is too quiet and is not well understood by others.
• There are problems with clear pronunciation, e.g. because the sounds cannot be formed correctly due to motor impairments.
• The voice is hoarse or can sound like a creak.
• There is often a lack of a varied speech melody, as a result of which the voice is perceived as monotonous.
• The pace of speech is often too slow or too fast.
• The pitch of the voice can shift upwards, resulting in a high voice.
• Trembling of the voice is possible.
• Those affected may have problems with the flow of speech and stutter when talking.

How does singing affect the symptoms of Parkinson’s?

Initial studies indicate that singing can have a positive effect on Parkinson’s symptoms – especially language problems. A study conducted by the Queensland Conservatorium Research Center at Griffith University in Australia on 70 people showed that singing together (once or twice a week for an hour) has clear benefits. In addition to improved lung function, positive effects were observed on motor problems such as gait instability and also on the mood of Parkinson’s sufferers.

Singing helps people with Parkinson’s to speak clearly

As you inhale more deeply when singing and your voice has to hold notes the whole time you exhale, this trains and strengthens both your breathing muscles and your voice. This may make it easier for you to achieve an appropriate volume when speaking. As singing also places a lot of emphasis on the clear pronunciation of words, you will also train yourself in this area: singing trains all the muscles required for speaking, so it can help you to form sounds more intelligibly and therefore articulate yourself better. This may also make it easier for you to communicate with other people again, which may encourage you to enjoy regular company again.

Singing promotes speech melody and speech dynamics in Parkinson’s patients

Studies have also shown that regular singing can speed up speech. People with Parkinson’s often have the problem that their speech slows down. Because singers follow the rhythm of the music when singing, they can learn to speak at a faster rate.

Singing can also counteract the monotonous speech that Parkinson’s disease patients often struggle with. For example, it is not so easy for the communication partners of those affected to distinguish between a statement and a question because they are both spoken in the same way. When singing, however, you can practise using different pitches and alternating between different vocal ranges. This will improve your chances of your voice becoming more vibrant again.

Singing promotes a more upright posture with Parkinson’s disease

As a lot of air is needed when singing and singers have to repeatedly take deep breaths during a song in order to form as many notes and words as possible with one breath, an upright posture is also encouraged. As the disease progresses, people with Parkinson’s increasingly adopt a forward-leaning posture. However, if they regularly sing together in a choir, those affected can actively do something about this poor posture.

Singing can improve emotional well-being in Parkinson’s disease

Many of us know from our own experience that singing together in a group makes us relaxed and happy, whether it’s singing at Christmas with the family or singing secretly in the shower – singing is simply good for us. And the same applies to singing with Parkinson’s. Sufferers who sing regularly, free from the pressure to perform, report a lasting improvement in their quality of life. According to a study, singing helps some people to be less anxious and to deal with their illness more calmly in front of others.

One of the reasons why singing is good for us is that it increases the release of happiness hormones such as serotonin, dopamine and the hormone oxytocin. Oxytocin is also known as the “cuddle hormone”, which we release more of when we are in close physical contact (e.g. when hugging). It relaxes us and in turn alleviates feelings of anxiety and stress. Coming together to sing, for example in a group for Parkinson’s sufferers, also has the advantage that those affected can exchange ideas with other sufferers, which helps to improve personal well-being and cope better with the disease.

This is because contacts are often made with other people with Parkinson’s – similar to those in self-help groups. This can help people with Parkinson’s to feel less lonely or depressed. Singing together therefore also has the potential to counteract the widespread psychological consequences of the disease, such as social withdrawal and a slide into loneliness or depression, and to strengthen patients mentally and emotionally.