Music Therapy – what immediately springs to mind? People playing instruments as part of their therapy?Â
Well, think again, because Music Therapy is a lot more than that. It supports and helps patients achieve neuro – and physical goals. When brain pathways are damaged, Music Therapy can be used to build new pathways.
Music Therapy is a very powerful partner to Physiotherapy, as when used together, it can help rebuild confidence and the ability to relearn how to use, say, an arm or a leg. Therapists use music as a rhythmic beat to help train the brain to a specific rhythmic pattern, which, in the case of leg injuries, can lead to improved balance.
Music Therapist Natasha Larkin, who works for George’s Rockstars at Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital in Brighton comments: “If I have a patient who needs to improve their strength, then Music Therapy is a great tool. For example, I was working with a patient who had to use a wheelchair and needed to improve their strength, I achieved this by placing a drum near them and asking them to beat the drum to the rhythm I had set on the metronome. The great thing about using a metronome is that you can gradually increase the beat the stronger your patient becomes. Music Therapy is so motivating and engaging and when you combine it with other forms of therapy, then the results are unbelievable.”
Before a patient can be discharged from hospital they often have to prove that they can transfer from sit to stand and Music Therapy is a great way of helping patients achieve this important goal in their therapeutic journey. Thanks to the fact that Music Therapy is fun and engaging the results are remarkable; Natasha creates a sound that goes up in pitch as the patient stands, which sounds celebratory, so the patient is applauded as they stand. Therefore it comes as no surprise that with such encouragement, patients often go from sit to stand more quickly than they would if Music Therapy was not involved in their recovery process.
Another way Music Therapy can improve physicality is by asking a patient to reach for an instrument. This seemingly simple task, when a physio is involved, can really help improve mobility, especially if the position of the instrument is changed throughout the session.
Music Therapy is so much more than playing an instrument, it is a highly sophisticated form of therapy that helps patients both neurological and physically, especially when used on children who are unlucky enough to be in hospital. This is why it is so important that George’s Rockstars continues to offer Music Therapy to so many children who are hospitalised, but without the charitable donations, it sadly wouldn’t be able to continue.