A boy whose spindly legs are encased in steel braces stands up unassisted for the first time in his life.
A man who had hovered between life and death for several days regains consciousness and recovers fully.
A woman scheduled for neurosurgery arrives at the hospital tense, shaking and with a racing pulse, but she's wheeled into the operating room calm, breathing normally and in a positive frame of mind.
What "miracle medicine" helped bring about such results? Research dating back 500 years indicates that a regular dose of music can help alleviate a wide range of maladies -- from erratic heartbeat and depression to muscle tension and insomnia. Music has also been said to enhance memory, increase IQ, build up the immune system, reduce symptoms of stress, and help overall development. For example, a person with a speech impediment may learn to overcome it by first singing words; rhythmic music can literally help stroke patients stand on their feet again.
Music's healing powers are both psychological and physiological. Music can lower blood pressure, respiration rate and stress hormones in the blood. It can also increase the production of endorphins, the body's natural pain relievers, and salivary immunoglobulin A, which accelerates healing, lessens the chance of infection and regulates the heartbeat. Of course, music also can dramatically affect mood -- encouraging feelings of confidence, relaxation and pleasure.
Harmonic music with an even tempo (all the better if it's in cadence with the heartbeat) and soothing timbre (i.e., string instruments as opposed to brass) seems to work best for most people. Music falling in this category includes baroque, classical and most New Age instrumentals. Personal preference also is a key factor in music therapy.
Nona Irvine, a registered nurse, has worked in various capacities at The Queen's Medical Center for more than 20 years. As director of administrative services, her responsibilities include programs that support the hospital's lokomaika'i philosophy.
The purpose of lokomaika'i is "to create a healing environment throughout the organization which promotes and fosters partnerships with patients, their families and the health care team," Irvine says. "One goal of lokomaika'i is to help Queen's staff, patients and their loved ones feel as though they are in an intimate, nurturing, caring environment that promotes the healing process." Music is an important part of this.
Irvine, who worked in Queen's intensive care unit from 1974 to 1989, has seen firsthand the therapeutic value of music. "In many cases, when music was played, ICU patients' blood pressure readings were lowered, their respiration levels slowed, and their overall anxiety levels decreased. Music also helped to lower the anxiety levels of family and friends who were waiting for the results of their loved one's surgery."