Music is not something that is ingested into the body to feel better but it does make patients feel better when it soothes their senses. This is the case experience by Jan Stouffer, a board certified music therapist at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center for 25 years. As part of their Therapy Services, she uses music to ease away the pain or anxiety of her patients and inspire them to continue physical rehabilitation.
Good health needs physical and emotional balance to be maintained properly. Since the hospital is a place for clinical treatment, music is not just played randomly in every room.
Experts, however, believed that music therapy could help boost the wellness of patients. With that said, music therapists usually follow the recommendation of attending physicians and the patient's treatment plan and priorities are considered to make it work.
Stouffer's team considers the patient's physiological state, cultural background and music preferences. Music can also be administered as a sedative or stimulant.
Moreover, passive or active nature is also adjusted according to purpose. Calming music ultimately can help in easing the pain. So, it is used together with breathing and visual processes.
It has been observed that a young cancer patient connects with Rachel Platten's "Fight Song" lyrics. The angry or frustrated ones are calmed down by instrumental versions. Kazoo, harmonica, slide whistle and other sounds of wind instruments are helpful for lung exercises. The discovery now brings music all over different environments like in school lobbies and waiting rooms, says News Medical.
In the medical arena, however, Center Stage director Claire de Boer explains that music can neutralize stressful moments for patients and carers alike. When both are allowed to bond while listening to live music together, it can be a powerful thing for healing. No need to diagnose anything for that. The live music program is very helpful in maintaining a healthy environment, according to de Boer.
They have noted at least 300 people per show who happened to stop, smile and show happy faces as they listen briefly to the live performance. They even counted passers-by to get the statistics.
In campuses where there's more foot traffic, the result would be fascinating. Meanwhile, over a thousand people per slot can feel better through music. The ambassadors of the BBC Music Day feel the same way, saying that music makes a person different and they can only be so proud being able to help in promoting it, as per BBC.
