'Dance with Parkinson's group gives us new spark'
BBCA woman who has Parkinson's and is cared for by her husband says dance sessions for patients has "given us a new spark".
Jacqui Pannett, 71, said the classes help her feel "peaceful" because other people in the group experience similar symptoms to her, including tremors and fatigue.
On Friday, she and her husband Richard performed in a Dance for Parkinson's group at Southmead Hospital, in Bristol, to celebrate World Parkinson's Day. She said: "It's the best medication we could have had to move us along."
Rachael James, who runs the sessions, said the group helped people "forget about the illness".
UK-wide, more than 153,000 people are thought to be living with the disease which impacts mobility, speech, focus, sleep and independence. There is currently no cure.
The number is expected to increase due to population growth and ageing.
Professor Alan Whone, a neurology consultant at the hospital, said dancing and movement improves physical and mental wellbeing.
He added: "There is some evidence emerging you may slow the progression of the condition and actually protect brain cells."
The dance sessions are hosted by The Original Spinners, which have been delivering the programme in Bristol since 2017, and more than 20 patients get involved.
Mrs Pannett told the BBC she was inspired to join the group after watching Jeremy Paxman, a former TV presenter, take up ballet for a documentary about Parkinson's after his diagnosis in 2021.
She said: "I feel happy to be alongside people who understand where I'm at.
"And if I'm having a big tremor people are used to that, and that makes me feel more peaceful in the recognition that it's an important part of Parkinson's for some people."
Mr Pannett, 77, does not have Parkinson's but he said the dancing has "boosted his confidence".
The couple, who live in Keynsham, have since danced independently at parties and weddings together because of the group.
Professor Whone said: "Laboratory based studies have shown you may protect brain cells so they're more robust against whatever it is that's causing Parkinson's.
"But also being in a group and moving helps our mental wellbeing. It releases certain chemicals in the brain which are beneficial for that."
The Original Spinners invites patients to dance in rehearsals every week in Patchway, and they perform in Southmead Hospital's atrium three times a year.
It is also part of the North Bristol NHS Trust - which runs Southmead Hospital - programme called Fresh Arts which aims to enhance the experience of anyone who uses the hospital.
Ms James added that "people are so much brighter at the end".
"The classes are very powerful. It allows the creative expression alongside the physical benefits and the exercise," she said.
"It's a really beautiful way of connecting people because it's so playful."
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