Surgery patients hear benefits of music therapy loud and clear
By Carina Storrs
(CNN) It is no secret the uplifting effect of music, whether you like Mozart or Metallica. A growing amount of evidence also suggests that clinicians can use the power of music to help people recover from surgery and other medical procedures.
Studies have found that listening to music before surgery can reduce anxiety, and may also reduce the need for sedatives. Listening to music after surgery, and even during, may ease pain and the need for pain meds. Hospitals seem to be taking notice.
"I think more hospitals will start offering music therapy as the research foundation is growing, and there has been good research," said Al Bumanis, a music therapist and spokesperson for the American Music Therapy Association. There are probably about a thousand hospitals, maybe fewer, that are currently offering this type of therapy in the U.S., he said.
What is music therapy?
The basic definition of music therapy is the use of music for non-musical treatment goals, Bumanis said. And technically speaking, it has to be carried out by a trained music therapist.
In a typical session, which lasts 45 minutes to an hour, a therapist plays either recorded or live music that they think the patient will like. "I ask patients if there is something that reminds them of high school," said Leah Oswanski, a music therapist who works with cancer patients before and after surgery...
Get the full story at CNN.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/13/health/music-therapy-surgery-patients/index.html
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