Showing posts with label ▷ 2014 Feb 08. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ▷ 2014 Feb 08. Show all posts
Saturday, February 08, 2014
Def'n: Music Therapy
Music Therapy From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Music therapy is the use of interventions to accomplish individual goals within a therapeutic relationship by a professional who has completed an approved music therapy program. Music therapy is an allied health profession and one of the expressive therapies, consisting of a process in which a music therapist uses music and all of its facets—physical, emotional, mental, social, aesthetic, and spiritual—to help clients improve their health. Music therapists primarily help clients improve their health in several domains, such as cognitive functioning, motor skills, emotional development, social skills, and quality of life, by using music experiences such as free improvisation, singing, and listening to, discussing, and moving to music to achieve treatment goals. It has a wide qualitative and quantitative research literature base and incorporates clinical therapy, biomusicology, musical acoustics, music theory, psychoacoustics, embodied music cognition, aesthetics of music, and comparative musicology. Referrals to music therapy services may be made by other health care professionals such as physicians, psychologists, physical therapists, and occupational therapists. Clients can also choose to pursue music therapy services without a referral (i.e., self-referral).
Music therapists are found in nearly every area of the helping professions. Some commonly found practices include developmental work (communication, motor skills, etc.) with individuals with special needs, songwriting and listening in reminiscence/orientation work with the elderly, processing and relaxation work, and rhythmic entrainment for physical rehabilitation in stroke victims. Music therapy is also used in some medical hospitals, cancer centers, schools, alcohol and drug recovery programs, psychiatric hospitals, and correctional facilities.
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Music Therapy Intervention
Power of Music by Louis Gallait.
A brother and sister resting before an
oldtomb. The brother is attempting to
comfort his sibling by playing the violin,
and she has fallen into a deep sleep,
"oblivious of all grief, mental and physical."
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Music therapists are found in nearly every area of the helping professions. Some commonly found practices include developmental work (communication, motor skills, etc.) with individuals with special needs, songwriting and listening in reminiscence/orientation work with the elderly, processing and relaxation work, and rhythmic entrainment for physical rehabilitation in stroke victims. Music therapy is also used in some medical hospitals, cancer centers, schools, alcohol and drug recovery programs, psychiatric hospitals, and correctional facilities.
Video: Music Therapy
SoundBored -- Music Therapy for Stroke Survivors
Published on May 5, 2012Project thru IDHI @ Georgia Tech
We used the Microsoft Surface to create a fun music tool that could help stroke survivors make their therapy more enjoyable.
Music: Remind Me by Röyksopp, Year of the Cat by Al Stewart
Standard YouTube License @ pmize3
Saturday Comics
| For Better and For Worse Lynn Johnston - 2014/02/02  "I can't keep him on the sleigh, Michael !!" | Dilbert Scott Adams - 2014/02/02  "We're going to use the Jeff Bezos rule of meeting..." |
Peanuts Charles Schulz - 2014/02/02 
"Are you out of your mind? Go back to sleep!"
| Doonesbury Garry Trudeau - 2014/02/02  "I have a dream......." |
** I tried to get low or free price at the people http://www.UniversalUclick.com/ for the images for the cartoons. It was too high for Stroke Survivors Tattler i.e. we are not a regular newspaper and our budget is very low. Fortunately, you will have to do only 1-click more to see the cartoon image, it is legit and it is free using GoComics.com and Dilbert.com.
Note: Now SSTattler are running cartoons starting on previous Sunday.
Eclectic Stuff
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Definition: Eclectic(noun) a person who derives ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources.
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Tattlers -- information for those dealing with stroke by stroke survivors, spouses, families, and friends. Not a substitute for professional health information.
Edmonton · Stroke Survivors Tattler
Challenge 7: Remembering Piano
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| Grace Carpenter My Happy Stroke |
Not long after I came back from Spaulding, I sat down at my piano. I wasn't sure if I could play anything at all, but I tried to think of the piano as a therapy tool--both physical and cognitive.
From time to time, I've been going through my sheet music for my favorite pieces. With some pieces, I've tried to pick out the notes. Sometimes I listen to recordings and follow along with the sheet music. Other times I just listen.
But there was one piece that I couldn't find in my music books, and I also don't have a recording. It was a slow Scott Joplin piece called "Solace" that I've been playing by memory since middle school, and it was one of my show-off pieces. But when I tried playing even a few notes by memory, I couldn't. My left hand waited for cues from my right hand, while my right hand sat on the keyboard, useless as a dead fish.
So my challenge was to drive to the music store, track down the music, and hopefully pick out some of the melody, in any way possible. After thumbing through anthologies, I found the song. To my dismay, the music didn't look like anything I remembered. Did I confuse the name of the piece? Were my music-reading skills affected by the stroke even more than I realized?
I was never the most talented pianist, but that was beside the point. I loved making music. And now one more piece of myself was lost. This really sucks, I said to myself.
I bought the music book anyway. When I came home I googled "Solace," and found a video clip of someone playing the piece. Halfway through the clip, I recognized it. It was "Solace." But I had always skipped the first two movements, and even forgotten they existed. And I don't think it had anything to do with the stroke.
Afterwards, I tried to play a few lines. It didn't sound much like music, and I'm not sure it ever will. But at least I now can tell you: I used to play this Scott Joplin song called "Solace" for decades; I always skipped the first two movements; and that was part of who I was.
Here's a post by Marcelle Greene about ragtime and stroke. Here's a video clip of a performance of "Solace" (with a lot fewer mistakes, of course, than I used to to make. The parts I used to play start at 3:37).
Standard YouTube License @ BachScholar
See the original article:
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Ragtime
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| Marcelle Greene Up Stroke |
Click below to listen to "Maple Leaf Rag."
There was a piano at a party I attended recently. I asked my hostess if she played. "No, but I always wanted to play ragtime," she said. Pre-stroke, I would have sat down right then and pounded out the "Maple Leaf Rag."
The "Maple Leaf Rag" by Scott Joplin was my signature piece. I've been playing it for 30 years. It includes a hand-over-hand run all the way up the keyboard. In my talent show version, my hands kept running until I fell off the piano bench. A comedy routine – my dad's idea.
I didn't even need a piano to play the "Rag." I'd tap it out on my thigh during dull classes or meetings. In the hospital post-stroke, I reviewed the fingering in my mind. The brain doesn't know the difference between imagining and doing, and I hoped that this mental exercise would spur my fingers toward movement.
I have been told that any skill I want to recover will require hours of practice and repetition. I will not take the time to learn to play the piano again. It's a loss, but not a devastating one. I was neither a gifted musician nor an avid one. In fact, I can't remember the last time I played. What I do remember is during my dad's last visit before my stroke, he said, "How about a little Scott Joplin?"
And I said, "Not now."
See the original article:
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Music Helps Stroke Patients Find Their Voice
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| Dean Reinke Deans' Stroke Musing |
Why the hell do we continue to hear stories like this? Research supporting this idea has been around for years. It seems that there is no way to disseminate changes that should be made to stroke protocols around the world. That would seem like a job for SuperStroke survivor since the WSO obviously has no intention of ever helping stroke survivors. GAH! the stupidity of everyone involved. Did they all take stupid pills? Or are survivors emanating a stupid force radiating from our damaged brains? Which is why graduate students doing research for their dissertations are producing great research yet.
Dec. 2013
Sept. 2011
Written in 1973
See the original article:
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Shall We Dance?
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| Barb Polan Barb's Recovery |
Since I had the stroke, Tom and I have attended three weddings. I LOVE dancing and, each time, I have tried to get Tom to dance with me. Nope, which has been okay because I'm so inhibited. Full disclosure: even pre-stroke, I could get him on the dance floor only one or two songs per wedding; most of my dancing was done with friends and family. But, Tom would always dance with our daughter when she asked him. Now, though, Tom's "no" is a true "no," not an "ask me later when I've had more to drink." We went to a wedding this past weekend and, being the marriage of college friends' son, there were many long-time friends there, including a former boyfriend of mine (JB, of course, for anyone who knows him). He has absolutely no inhibitions and expects everyone else to be the same. He strong-armed me into dancing - a slow song first so that he could grab me tighter if I stumbled. He tucked my left arm under his right and pressed it in against his side, then put his other arm around my waist. I could actually take steps with my left leg. My timing was bad because it took so long to move that leg. Of course, many of my steps were onto his foot, but I'm not that strong or that heavy that it bothered him. Plus, he was the one forcing me to dance, so too bad. Following the slow was, of course, a fast - that old wedding staple "Mac, the Knife." I was very happy to be out there, and my right arm had the best time. Now I'm thinking of cranking up the music when I'm home alone and devising my own dance therapy. Slow songs are out.
See the original article:
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Singing
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| Amy Shissler My Cerebellar Stroke Recovery |
My speech therapist wasn’t there when I told my student clinician (I do speech therapy at a university) that I’m taking singing lessons. She was so thrilled when she found that out that she wrote me an email. Here it is…….
Hi Amy,
Sorry I missed you last week; however, I was on vacation with my family in Hilton Head. I spoke with Emily regarding your session and she informed me that you are now taking voice lessons. This is great news!!!! I am so interested to hear how you like them and if you notice any changes in your voice as a result. There is some research on the use of music / rhythm / Melodic Intonation Therapy in the success with patients who have expressive language deficits as a result of a CVA (aphasia). As Emily probably discussed with you, music engages the right side of the brain in the production of speech (as language and speech are primarily left brain). This is also why we utilize “chant therapy” to engage the right brain. This has been noticed in individuals who stutter (these individuals can sing fine; however, when they speak they may still stutter). I look forward to discuss this with you further next week, enjoy your holiday!!!!!
We may have to do a session of Karaoke :0)
~AnnetteNow, a couple of my thoughts. First of all, I will NEVER do karaoke, ever. Second, it’s a good thing I chant all the time in yoga. Third, ok………….I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my speech therapist. She’s awesome and amazing! Love her. However, I’m confused about something. In a year and a half of going to this speech therapy I have never been challenged to raise my voice high and use a higher pitch. The reason for this is because I have a lot more control, as does everyone, at lower pitches. My first day of the singing lessons he had me go as high as my voice could go. But this is speech therapy it’s not singing therapy.
As Dean said once “The problem I have with Peter is that he is constrained with staying within the approved therapy guidelines. That silo is not where the breakthroughs in stroke will occur.” No, it’s not. You have to think outside the box, and try things that you never thought you’d try.
See the original article:
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Rockin' Recovery
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| Peter G. Levine Stronger After Stroke Blog |
I'm here in Finland, above the Arctic Circle, the home of my wife, Aila. We're visiting for 3 weeks.This is a great country for clearing one's head. The things that matter to "us" seem to trouble them less. Their perspective has changed my perspective!
There is a particular study the Fins have done on stroke recovery that has caught my eye several times over the past few years. Part of it is that any study that says "stroke" and "Finland" will get my attention. Part of it is that music is so personally important. The following quote comes from this article Therapy Times:
"A daily dose of one’s favorite pop melodies, classical music or jazz can speed recovery from debilitating strokes, according to a study published recently. When stroke patients in Finland listened to music for a couple of hours each day, verbal memory and attention span improved significantly compared to patients who received no musical stimulation, or who listened only to stories read out loud, the study reports.
Those exposed to music also experienced less depression than the other two control groups.
Three months after a stroke, verbal memory was boosted by 60 percent in music listeners, by 18 percent in audio book listeners, and by 29 percent in non-listeners, according to the lead author Teppo Sarkamo, PhD, a neuroscientist at Helsinki University in Finland.
The differences held true after six months as well, says the study, which is published in a recent issue of the journal, Brain. Sarkamo’s findings bolster a growing body of research pointing to the benefits of music and music therapy for conditions including autism, schizophrenia, and dementia. But this is the first time music alone has been shown to have a positive effect on victims of brain injury, such as stroke, he says.
“Everyday music listening during early stroke recovery offers a valuable addition to the patients’ care, especially if other active forms of rehabilitation are not yet feasible,” Sarkamo says."Also, this systematic review seems to further indicate music can help in a number of ways.
See the original article:
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Play Date
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| Pamela Hsieh Rehab Revolution |
I know. Where are last week’s three posts? They didn’t happen (I hope you’ll forgive me), because I was an awful time manager last week. On the plus side, I did film some videos, and I’ll do my best to edit them by Monday night into something cohesive. It will be a busy day, but I will put in an honest effort to deliver!
Tonight, Anthony told me there is something called the “Pamela Effect.” I asked him what this was, expecting him to say that it was my ability to prolong anything and everything and cause great tardiness. Well, I was sort of right -- but his actual definition was: “spontaneous dancing, personal development or entertaining video sharing, hugs, and general merriment or affection that comes with spending time with Pamela.”
Talk about putting a positive spin on a perceived flaw, right? :)
I feel a huge shift occurring in me these days. Perhaps it’s the holiday spirit, perhaps it was the Millionaire Mind Intensive (for the record, I only want to make my millions by living my truth), or perhaps it’s simply time for a lot of growth.
When I first began this blog, I thought its focus would be on therapy techniques. I knew it would be an exploration of all the facets of healing and rehabilitation, but it turns out that a lot of where this exploration goes is within, to the spirit. Ultimately, it’s not so surprising . . . it is really the spirit you must tend to to keep up your fight!
So let’s talk about the importance of making things fun. I’ve addressed this briefly before, but let’s revisit.
I’ve begun starting some of my days with some high-energy “Pamela Effect” spontaneous dancing. Or, looking myself in the mirror and pumping myself up by proclaiming everything I love about my life: “I love dancing, I love food, I love animals! I love reading, I love books, I love my bedding!” etc., etc. (Yes, I caught some of these practices on film.)
It sounds ridiculous and cheesy, but no one’s watching. Besides, who the hell cares? Even if people were watching, all the more reason to embrace this kind of joy. It really gets you going on a great note, and it makes your life more fun.
Consider this awesome initiative --
Standard YouTube License @ Rolighetsteorin
How can you make the necessary activities of life and rehab more fun so you actually do them? We don’t have to transform every set of stairs into a keyboard. But you can start by playing the music you LOVE while you dance your heart out or run on your elliptical. Play exercise video games on the Wii or XBox (more on this to come).
Ask a friend if you can “borrow” his dog for walking a couple times during the week. Time how quickly you can clean your kitchen. The list goes on! Please share your ideas below -- how do you make boring tasks more enjoyable?
To our healing,
See the original article:
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Playing 'Games' to Improve Recovery
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| Jeff Porter Stroke of Faith |
We've see stories before about the idea of adapting video games and other technology for stroke recovery therapy.
As the motion sensor-based technology improves, more advances seem to be coming. For example, check this blurb and video how stroke recovery might be assisted by Microsoft's Kinect, specifically upper-limb motor functioning:
Stroke patients can get direct feedback about their recovery from the Kinect, which is able to capture the skeletal movements in real-time and relay the information back to the user. Stroke Recovery with Kinect features “three game-like exercises,” each of which requires the user to test his or her dexterity. This software could serve as an affordable, accessible addition to the recovery process for future sufferers. Check out a video of the program in action at Microsoft Research.
See the original article:
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Getting Early Recovery
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| Rebecca Dutton Home After a Stroke |
PTs do not start gait training by asking clients to lift their hemiplegic (paralyzed) leg in the air and then move their ankle and toes. Yet classic hand evaluations like the Fugl-Meyer Assessment tell OTs to ask stroke survivors to sit and lift their hemiplegic arm up to table top height to pick up an object resting on the table. There is a problem with evaluating early hand function this way. When a stroke survivor struggles to lift a paralyzed arm, high muscle tone can cascade down the arm and make the hand too tight to open to grasp an object. 
See the original article:
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9 Things Not to Say to Someone With a #Braininjury, #Abi or #Stroke
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| Kate Allatt A Rocky Stroke Recovery |
A bit extra from me.
‘Judging by the response to this blog, from people who too have had the ‘bomb-explode-in-their-brain’, we all seem to feel THE SAME.
Which is why my 3rd book – I Am Still The Same (Ebook NOV 2014) will be a practical self-help God send for all stroke survivors and brain injured people.
Please also take a look at ‘Running Free’ (Amazon) for some practical advice, based on my own horrific brainstem stroke experience with locked in syndrome. It’s internationally published and also hugely inspiring for ANYONE.’
Kate Allatt voluntary CEO Fighting Strokes.
SOURCE: http://strokerevelations.com/9-things-not-to-say-to-someone-with-a-brain-i-44952
And when you care for a loved one with a brain injury, it’s easy to get burnt out and say things out of frustration.
Here are a few things you might find yourself saying that are probably not helpful:
Newfie Diet
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| Jackie Poff Stroke Survivors Tattler |
"I want you to eat regularly for 2 days, then skip a day, then eat regularly again for 2 days then skip a day. Repeat this procedure for 2 weeks. The next time I see you, you should have lost at least 5 pounds."
When the Newfie returned, she shocked the doctor by having lost nearly 60 lbs.!
"Why, that's amazing", the doctor said, "Did you follow my instructions?"
The Newfie nodded. "I'll tell you though, be jaesuz, I t'aut I were going to drop dead on dat 'tird day."
"From the hunger, you mean?" asked the doctor.
"No, from the frikin' skippin'."
Grocery Shopping!
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| Diane The Pink House On The Corner |
Well, this was a first for both of us. Bob's first trip to a grocery store since his stroke in October 2010. And my first experience taking him to a grocery store!
I have never attempted to do this before because it seemed like it would be a big pain in the you-know-what. I mean, how does one push a wheelchair AND a shopping cart? Not only that, there's the getting Bob ready for a trip, getting him into the wheelchair, scheduling the transportation etc. etc. and all that work just to shop at the grocery store seemed unthinkable.
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Bob's first trip to the grocery store since 2010.
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But two weeks ago, when The Green Machine refused to start in the parking lot of the post office when I was out on my weekly errand run, I had to get the car towed over to Bubba's. Fortunately, the grocery store was in walking distance from the post office, so I hiked over to the store, got Bob's prescriptions filled, grabbed a few items and called a taxi to take me home. That ride cost $20.00. So talk about an expensive day, as the tow truck charged me $65.00. yikes.
Then, when Bubba told me it might take weeks or more to fix The Green Machine, I debated ways to get back to the grocery store for supplies. The taxi was way too expensive, it would cost me $40.00 to get there and back. And a bus, well, how much can one carry onto a bus? And I needed some heavy items, like cat litter... The big grocery store is too far away to walk to -- we have a smaller store in walking distance but they do not stock things like cat litter. So, I decided to do the unthinkable: take Bob with me. That way, we could ride the wheelchair transport and the cost would only be $4.00 each way.
I still didn't know how I was going to push the wheelchair and a shopping cart at the same time! But I figured, I'd play it by ear and if nothing else, park him in a corner somewhere while I did the shopping.
When we got to the grocery store, I stopped at the Customer Service desk and asked for help. Customer Service paged an employee to "assist a customer with her shopping". So I pushed Bob and the employee pushed the cart and the wheelchair van driver helped me load and unload the groceries and it actually all worked out surprisingly well!
As Bob used to always say: Life is an adventure!
See the original article:
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Talking Trash
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| Jo Murphey The Murphey Saga |
Oh, get your minds outta da gutter!
Barb Polan and I have been emailing back and forth about garbage and composting. For us it's difficult if not impossible to get the garbage from the house to the rolling bins, and out to the road for pick up. Okay, it can be done in a thousand and one baby steps along the way. A week's worth of garbage takes a week to get it to the road.
It's one of those things most of us really don't talk about. Another adaptability failure issue but we keep trying to adapt to succeed. It's just that success in this case isn't without some major issues. I wonder how Rebecca does it? Hey Rebecca! Chime in.I guess I could put all my noncompostable garbage in those little plastic grocery bags and carry them to my dumpster one at a time. But that still leaves rolling the dumpster to the road. I don't know about your front yard, but mine is uneven with plenty of pine tree and oak roots to trip me up with a rolling slant. It isn't a smooth paved surface like the picture. I wish!
Can Computers/Apps Really Help Children/Adults Learn -
Relearn How to Speak?
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| Mark A. Ittleman The Teaching of Talking |
I am sorry to say, I just don't buy the idea that an app or computer programs can be an efficient way of doing speech therapy with someone who has a severe speaking difficulty. As an Alternative Communication Device there are some great programs out there. There are even great apps that are good for telling stories, cognition, or for helping children or adults with sound errors, visual scanning, and reading recognition. Can they actually help people who have lost the ability to speak?
It is readily apparent in most social media that apps, I pads etc are the way to go when it comes to helping one talk after aphasia. I think the general public is getting the wrong impression and thinking that an app or computer program which really don't think, interact, or problem solve the many parameters associated with speaking can replace a speech language pathologist expert, even if the visits are running out. Not only that, but most computers can not visually show the act of speaking phrases and sentences and have the duplication of sound like one can achieve within a real eyeball to eyeball interaction. Advertisers would have us believe that what we need are computer program exercises for the brain, but they really lack the true meaning and richness of interaction with another person that can stimulate thought, immediate, short, and long-term memory, creativity and the ability to make decisions.
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