Therapeutic use of the Arts for Patients with Multiple Sclerosis
Abstract:
Overview
People with multiple sclerosis (MS) face a wide variety of physical, emotional, and social challenges. A multidisciplinary comprehensive care approach is recommended for the management of MS and its consequences, and non-traditional treatments are increasingly considered by patients and health care providers, particularly for the promotion of wellness in the context of this chronic disease. Previous research has demonstrated the benefits of the therapeutic arts (art therapy, dance and movement therapy, and music therapy) in addressing some of the physiological, psychological, cognitive, social, and spiritual needs of patients facing a variety of chronic illnesses. Our review of the literature suggests that therapeutic art can be beneficial to individuals with MS, particularly in promoting self-efficacy, emotional well-being, and motor control. However, the body of evidence is limited, and further research is needed regarding the outcomes and mechanism of action of therapeutic arts in MS to better understand their role in the management of the consequences of the disease.
Keywords
Music therapy, art therapy, dance therapy, multiple sclerosis
Article:
Article Information:
Disclosure
Lisa Gallagher and Francois Bethoux have nothing to disclose in relation to this article. No funding was received in the publication of this article.
Authorship: All named authors meet the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) criteria for authorship of this manuscript, take responsibility for the integrity of the work as a whole, and have given final approval to the version to be published.
Correspondence
Lisa M Gallagher, Cleveland Clinic Arts & Medicine Institute, 1950 Richmond Rd/TR308, Lyndhurst, OH 44124, US. E: gallagl@ccf.org
Access
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial License, which permits any noncommercial use, distribution, adaptation, and reproduction provided the original author(s) and source are given appropriate credit.
Received
2017-06-03T00:00:00
