The effect of Kathak Dance Movement on Balance and Gait in Parkinson’s Disease- An Experimental Study

INTRODUCTION: Difficulties with gait and balance are common among individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD). Several different exercise programs have been suggested to address balance and gait problems to improve the quality of life and patient compliance with PD exercises. Dance may be an effective tool for addressing these problems because it includes key elements of dynamic balance, can improve functional mobility, and is, at the same time, enjoyable and engaging. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of Kathak dance movement in addition to conventional physiotherapy on balance and gait in Parkinson's disease patients. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A total of 44 patients diagnosed with Parkinson's disease were included in the study with a mean age of 63.20 + 8.5 years. Patients were randomly divided into two groups, the control group received conventional physiotherapy, and the experimental group received the same along with Kathak dance movements which were Tatkar and Gatnikas. The intervention was given three days a week for four weeks. Pre-and post-assessment for balance and gait was assessed by scales including TUG test, Tinetti, FOG-Q, and UPDRS-III. The within-group comparison was made using Wilcoxon Signed rank test and between the group using the Mann Whitney U test to see the effect of treatment intervention. Results: The mean age of participants for both groups were 64.18±8.53 and 62.23±6.21, respectively. The comparison showed a significant difference in TUG, Tinetti, and FOG-Q within the group with p<0.01. The between-group comparison showed no significant difference between the two treatments interventions with p=0.361 for TUG, p=0.479 for Tinetti, and p= 0.73 for FOG-Q. CONCLUSION: Both groups showed similar improvements in balance and gait in PD patients. Thus, we conclude that the Kathak Dance movement can be used to complement conventional physical therapy exercises.