Italian neurologist finds improbable cure for Parkinson ‘s Disease in Irish dancing

By

IrishCentral Contributing Writer

Published Tuesday, March 12, 2013, 7:15 AM

Updated Tuesday, March 12, 2013, 9:45 AM

Italian Doctor Daniel Volpe has discovered that Irish dancing has a positive effect on patients suffering from Parkinson's disease

Photo by ParkinsonsItalia.it

Doctor Daniele Volpe is not an ordinary Italian neurologist. In addition to heading up the Parkinson's Rehabilitation unit at the St. John of God hospital in Venice, he is a musician who loves trad and who visits Ireland frequently to play in a band.

Amazingly, he has found a way to connect both his professional life and his love of trad music.

The story begins in June of 2010 in Peppers Pub, a Trad hot spot located in the tiny village of Feakle (population 126), in County Clare. Peppers regularly offers Trad nights where customers can enjoy music, and if so inclined, participate in set dances. On this particular night, Dan Fox (Volpes stage name) was playing alongside Charlie Piggot, one of the founding members of De Dannan, and as the band was about to start, the Italian doctor noticed a man with an unsteady gait enter the pub. "Someone with Parkinson's," he remembers thinking.

About 20 minutes later the band opened the floor for a set dance, and Volpe was surprised to see the man with Parkinsons among the dancers. What followed was incredible: the man who walked so unsteadily required no assistance to dance. Indeed, the man went through the moves effortlessly, as if he were a different person. Dr. Volpe was quite puzzled, and asked Charlie about a particular leg movement he noticed. Thus Dr. Volpe learned about the Reel step.

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Italian neurologist finds improbable cure for Parkinson 's Disease in Irish dancing