August 28, 2026

@michaelokun

What resonated with me about this wonderful Washington Post story is that sometimes an important Parkinson’s therapy may look less like medicine and more like a harmonica. Speech and voice problems can affect up to 90% of people as Parkinson’s advances, yet speech and swallowing therapy remain remarkably underutilized. Playing the harmonica requires coordinated breathing, tongue, lip and facial movements, precisely the systems Parkinson’s can disrupt. A small randomized pilot study of 22 people reported encouraging improvements in speech intelligibility and vocal intensity, though we need larger trials before concluding that harmonica therapy works. What I love most about this story, however, is the joy. Rehabilitation works best when people actually want to do it, and playing music together can transform an exercise into something social, engaging and sustainable. For Parkinson’s, we need to think beyond pills and procedures and embrace physical, occupational, speech and swallowing therapies as essential parts of the treatment plan. Sometimes finding your voice may begin with simply finding the right note. I had the honor of interfacing with this amazing group on The Parkinson's Plan book and listening tour in a stop we made in Hawaii. https://cutt.ly/Iyhj6Vz0