Dr. Jay Zwischenberger, UK chief of surgery, plays his harmonica. Staff and patients are said to find “Dr. Z’s” music a source of reassurance and comfort. June 13, 2008 Musicians have long known intuitively that experiencing the rhythms, harmonies and melodies of music —as listener or performer— can help mend the troubled mind, body and soul. And health professionals have long shared an intuitive understanding that this healing quality of music has a lot to offer medical science; witness the calming heart-rate monitors in a Savannah neo-natal ward as the regular visits of a harpist get underway. Now these enduring intuitions are converging to form the basis of an innovative program integrating the arts in health care at the new Chandler Medical Center at the University of Kentucky.

Anyone who has been reading my blogs, ezines, and ebooks knows that I’m a huge believer in the healing power of music during surgery!  There is just so much documentation of the ability of music to help people use less anesthesia during the procedure, less anxiety medication before and less pain medication after.  What people don’t always understand is that the music needs to come through headphones and not just ambient music in the room.  In other words, a boombox in the corner or music piped in through the ceiling just won’t get it!  To read more about this powerful but little-known procedure, please go to http://surgery-with-music.blogspot.com/2008/05/seven-spiritual-ways-to-prepare-for.html.  If you have friends or family members about to have surgery, please send this to them as welll!  Thanks!  Alice