There is a significant amount of research now available that demonstrates the act of participating in art therapy sessions greatly benefits Parkinson's patients for both motor and non-motor symptom management.
The goal of art therapy is not the outcome of the project -- but the process of creating. The act of creating can bring inner peace by providing interconnectedness of mind, body and spirit. Scientifically, the act of creating helps to release and channel dopamine and serotonin - key neurotransmitters for emotional and movement regulation for overall well-being. For many, it can be meditative and relaxing which helps reduce stress and anxiety. For others, it can be rewarding, providing a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.
Art making benefits, include:
Finding Pleasure: Art making is enjoyable. There is no such ting as a "wrong" mark. every expression is valid.
Experiencing Control: Parkinson's robs you of control. Art making is an activity in which the artist can experience choice (through color, medium, line, subject matter, etc.) and control over your environment.
Valuing Individuality: Free creation can encourage spontaneity, which can, in turn, improve confidence in your own ideas and in yourself overall.
Expressing Yourself: Art is another language for communication that can be done at an artist's own pace. The pressure to communicate quickly, accurately, or without hesitation does not exist.
Relaxation: Art-making has proven to lower blood pressure, reduce repetitive, uncontrollable (anxious) thoughts and lifts depression.
Finding Flow in Mind-Body Connection: In a relaxed state with focus on the expression rather than on the physical movement itself, motion can become more fluid.
Strengthening Concentration, Memory and Executive Functions: Art making increases the bilateral activity in the brain. When drawing or painting, you are using both the right and left hemispheres of the brain. This is a wonderful way to take greater advantage of mental resources.
To embrace art therapy requires you to choose to focus intently on making deliberate, unique marks, knowing that it is a balance between gaining control through attention to movement (reducing the likelihood of freezing) and putting too much pressure on yourself to make precisely the mark you expect, which can bring stress.
Visual arts, such as drawing or painting allows for the improvement of fine motor skills. Simply holding and utilizing various art tools can improve dexterity and coordination. Additionally, the act of drawing and painting can assist with visual spacial functioning. By practicing visual conception, it can improve movement in gait profiles, including balance and freezing. Symptoms reported to improve with art therapy, include:
Tremor: About 70% of people with PD experience tremors' at some point of the disease. Stress, as well as fatigue and intense emotions, can temporarily make tremors worse. Most people find art therapy relaxing, and therefore an effective way to reduce tremor in times of stress.
Freezing: Some people with PD experience the temporary, involuntary ability to move, called freezing. because art therapy introduces novel motions that are not part of everyday life, it conditions your body to operate less on autopilot, which decreases likelihood of freezing.
Impaired Speech: Art therapy is a powerful communication tool that creates avenues of self-expression that are invaluable to those struggling with speech problems. Even if participants do not have speech problems, it can sometimes be easier to express difficult thoughts and feelings visually instead of verbally.
Isolation and depression: About half of people with PD can experience some form of depression during the course of the disease. Art therapy creates a sense of community and emotional support that can alleviate feelings of isolation that often make depression more likely.
What Makes Good Art Therapy for Parkinson's?
While there is no perfect medium or technique proven to enhance symptom management of Parkinson's, there are some approaches that have increased the therapeutic benefits and ease of engagement for most people.
Work large: If you are able, find larger paper or canvas and try to fill it. This will invite greater extension of your limbs and greater awareness of your physical space.
Work with both hands: Working bilaterally with the body stimulates greater synaptic activity in both hemispheres of the brain. Using your non-dominant hand will enable you to make the most of your mental resources.
Start with a Circle: Starting by marking your surface (such as a paper or a canvas) with a large circle drawn can sometimes be the jump start you need to begin an artistic motion. The circle on the page can be a visual signal indicating where the mark is to be made. The very presence of the circle creates something for you to respond to, the way a laser can unfreeze a step.
Turn on some music: Rhythm and melody can act as external cues that can keep a paintbrush gliding, and art-making can become a dance. This is consistent with the positive effects music has on any movement, whether exercise, dance class or routine everyday movement.
Sources
Parkinson's Foundation: Painting with Parkinson's: All About Art Therapy. Blog: July, 2018. https://www.parkinson.org/blog/research/art-therapy
APDA: The Science Behind Parkinson's and Art Therapy. Alberto Cucca, MD. Webinar. APDA Virtual Conference, February, 2023.
Davis Phinney Foundation: Art Therapy for People Living with Parkinson's. Every Victory Counts Manual, Living Well Now. Sophie Canade, ATR, LPC
Art Therapy Practitioner Certification Course, Scholastico.
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