Elena Benigni, Eugenia Kantzari, Christian Pristipino
(Przedruk oryginalnego artykułu)
SOUND OF SOUL: Heart’s Biofeedback Music-Therapy
Background/Purpose
Heart Rate Variability (HRV), is actually the more advanced system to study and analyze the heart work in balancing the homeostais of the body. With Sound of Soul, this equilibium process could be recorded in form of sounds and colors, adressed by the patient’s own HRV. Through this possibility hearts are able to express their activity like “conductors of a big orchestra” exalting the biofeedback effect throughout the music. That means the patient could get a deep and beautiful contact with the physiological phenomenas happening in his entire body, just listening the sounds that his heart is spreading “on-air”. Actually we are using this method in different situations. For example: reducing pain during labor.
Methods
The aim of this study was to assess the effects of heart
music therapy (HMT) on pain perception during labor. We enrolled 34 consecutive patients in the active phase of labor: the first 17 underwent HMT and the subsequent 17 underwent usual care. To measure pain at baseline and after interventions we used the Visual Analogic Scale (VAS) and Behavioral Rating scale (BR). HMT consisted of 20 minutes Sound of Soul session. !
Results
Both groups were similar in terms of age, parity, marriage, the rate of attendance of a preparation course and baseline pain levels.
At 20 minutes from baseline, patients undergoing HMT experienced a statistically significant decrease of pain as compared to their baseline values, while patients under usual care experienced a statistically significant increase (fig.1). Moreover, HMT patients showed a statistically significant lower value of pain as compared to patients undergoing usual care. Surprisingly, 7 patients in HMT group fell asleep during the music therapy in the active phase of labor, while none in the usual care group.
Conclusion
Our preliminary study showed for the first time a statistically significant decrease of pain during active phase of labor in patients undergoing Heart Music Therapy as compared to both their baseline levels of pain and to those experienced by patients undergoing usual care.
Randomized studies are needed to conclusively assess the role of HMT in physiology and disease. We will continue studying the benefits of the self-music therapy and we wish that more scientists will approach methods that help the self abilities of the body to balance his own natural functions and study the possibilities that Sound of Soul, as well other biofeedback and self-healing technics, have in the health care system.
