Music therapy ‘can aid pulmonary rehabilitation for COPD patients’

A new study has highlighted the potential benefits of music therapy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients receiving treatment.

Carried out by the Mount Sinai Beth Israel (MSBI) hospital in New York, the research offered evidence that patients with chronic respiratory disorders who received music therapy in conjunction with standard rehabilitation saw an improvement in symptoms, psychological wellbeing and quality of life.

A subgroup of the 68-patient cohort, who were diagnosed with chronic disabling respiratory diseases including COPD, attended weekly music therapy sessions over the course of six weeks.

Each session included live music, visualisations, wind instrument playing and singing, which incorporated breath control techniques, while certified music therapists provided active music-psychotherapy incorporating the patients' preferred music.

This encouraged self-expression, increased engagement in therapeutic activities and helped them to cope better with the challenges of their chronic diseases.

Dr Jonathan Raskin, co-author of the study and director of the Alice Lawrence Center for Health and Rehabilitation at MSBI, said: "The results of this study provide a comprehensive foundation for the establishment of music therapy intervention as part of pulmonary rehabilitation care."