Is there scientific and/or medical
evidence to support music as a means of healing?
The U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Aging has granted funding for developing the use of music in physical rehabilitation programs.
The National Institute of Health has funded research on the use of music in medical settings.
Studies show that music playing during surgery and in recovery can reduce the need for anesthesia and pain relievers. Nurse-anesthetist Maureen Reilly of San Antonio, Texas and Fred Schwartz, anesthesiologist at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta are doing research on the subject of music and anesthesia.
Premature babies at UCLA in Los Angeles and at Georgia Baptist Medical Center in Atlanta gained weight faster and used oxygen more efficiently when music was regularly played for them.
The Music for Transition in Healing Program has compiled a great deal of information with regard to music as a method of healing. Please see their Web site for more details www.mhtp.org.
