Comparison of Effectiveness of Dosah-hou and Alexander Techniques on Happiness, Social Adjustment, Hope, Mental Health and Quality of Life in Patients with Parkinson's Disease

Alexander Technique and Massage Therapy are considered as two efficient interventions for rehabilitation. The purpose of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of Alexander Technique and Massage Therapy on improvement of happiness, hope, and mental health in patients with Parkinson's disease.

The statistical population of the study consisted all of patients with Parkinson's disease who were clients of therapeutic centers in Isfahan City in 2015. Among this population, 28 patients were selected through convenience sampling as the sample of the study. Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ), Adult Hope Scale (AHS), and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) were used as the instruments of the study. Data was analyzed using Mixed ANOVA.

The results showed that both interventions of the present study significantly improved happiness and hope in patients with Parkinson's disease, and there are no differences between effectiveness of the two interventions.

Alexander Technique and Massage Therapy can be considered as efficient interventions for improvement of happiness and hope in patients with Parkinson's disease.