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Back to Publications In 1980, my friend Diane, OT director at St.Mary's Hospital, asked me to help develop an enjoyable exercise/rest program for people with rheumatoid arthritis. Compliance for traditional programs was low, and patients found the exercises boring. Diane received a grant from the Arthritis Foundation, Wisconsin Chapter, to fund my participation and in January 1981 assigned Marianne Higby, PT and Nancy Walker, OT to provide me with information on ROM exercises, arthritis and pain management. I learned the traditional exercises and then played with the movements creatively, integrating elements from my tai chi experience (see ROM Dance Principles below). The isolated, mechanical exercises slowly became a flowing, energetic sequence. Soon a story began to emerge: bathing in water; being surrounded by light. The hand movements naturally lent themselves to conversation. Each week, I met with Nancy or Marianne for feedback on therapeutic movement accuracy, or with Diane for inspiration and ideas. When Diane and I brought the dance into its final form we felt it needed a poem to cue the movements. We wrote it in one evening and the ROM Dance was born! In March 1981, our 8-week pilot class included instruction the ROM Dance, relaxation, pain management and health education. Participants loved it!* The following June, we presented the initial results of the pilot study at the National Arthritis Health Profession's Association annual meeting in Boston. They chose this innovative program to publicize the conference! We appeared on national news and soon, articles on the ROM Dance appeared in a number of publications including Health Magazine, the Wall Street Journal and the National Enquirer. This, combined with mention on a syndicated television show, brought over 1500 requests to St Mary's Hospital within a few months. |
