Introducing ParkinsonPod

The company behind the ParkinsonPod: Music made for walking, was established by Danish physiotherapist Birgitte Brabrand and Musician Martin Jantzen.

In her job as physiotherapist Birgitte Brabrand works with patients with Parkinson's disease. She had for a long time tried to find music with the right rhythm and pace for the workout sessions but wasn't able to. Birgitte Brabrand then teamed up with Martin Jantzen and together they composed the music for the ParkinsonPod. The music was launched in 2018 and at the end of 2021 there were more than 100.000 Nordic users.

Music

In 2018 Martin Jantzen and his team composed four albums with seven tracks each. The four albums come in four different paces; 102 beats per minute, 107 beats per minute, 114 beats per minute and 120 beats per minute. Within this range of paces, we can support people with Parkinson’s disease. At the beginning of each track there is a count, making sure you are getting the right pace from the start. The music is composed in different genres and styles and come in Scandinavian and English. At the end of each album there is a drumbeat allowing you to use only the beat. The music is available on App Store and Google Play.

Scientific research

To be able to walk is what made us humans – it is a function everybody would want to keep as long as possible. In Parkinson's disease gait is one of the functions most typically affected: rigidity and tiny steps, loss off balance, slow tempo, tendency of freezing.

 An international meta-analysis report published in Nature Magazine in January 2018 focused on the effect of rhythmic cueing on gait – for instance from rhythmic music.
It concluded that listening to a rhythm while walking 20-45 minutes 3-5 times a week would improve function of gait in patients with Parkinson – walking speed, balance, step length improves.