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Music and Healing
December 14, 2008 |
The Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida cares for thousands of little patients
each year. Even though some of the children are undergoing surgeries or battling
diseases like cancer, it’s not uncommon to hear happy songs
being sung throughout
the hospital.
“I will look like a volunteer musician but we’re looking at very specific goals
through music, we’re looking at their anxiety reduction, their pain management,”
says Julie Avirett a licensed music therapist at the hospital. She is on staff full
time at the facility and the music therapy program is fully funded by community
support.
“Medication is very, very important but I think from a therapeutic point of view
some things that aren’t involved with drugs and so forth are equally if not more
important. The other thing we thought was very, very, important was to have fun
for the children,” says Frank Haskell the founder of Barbara’s Friends.
While music therapy is a fun filled activity Julie says there is scientific evidence
that melodies help relieve anxiety, reduce blood pressure, and promote relaxation.
“They begin to look at me for trust in a situation where they’re feeling pain. They’ll
look towards the music and you’ll watch the monitors and the respiration rates will
decrease, the heart rates will decrease,” says Julie.
The music therapy program has been so successful at the Children’s Hospital of Southwest
Florida that it is now expanding. Music therapy has also proven to be successful
in rehabilitative and psychological treatment of children and adults. |
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