Friday, August 10, 2007

New book on music as medicine

Wanted to let you know about a new book in the field of Music as Medicine: Please feel free to add your own review!

Music is Healing, a new book by Dr. Frances le Roux, Ph.D., highlights the effect of music on the immune and endocrine systems, pain, emotions and spiritual well being.
In Music is Healing, author Dr. Frances le Roux provides practical guidelines and evidence related to the effectiveness of music's therapeutic applications in medicine, particularly physiotherapy in practice and in hospitals. Dr. le Roux demonstrates how music can affect health directly by changing a patient's biomedical and psychosocial levels and altering spiritual dimension. Therefore, suggests the author, music can infiltrate all aspects of healthcare.
In a global world, the power of technology and science has reduced the role of personal virtue in medicine, but music puts the practice of medicine as both a science and an art together again. Not only does music look after the biomedical and psychosomatic aspects of an illness, but it also builds better relationships. In a world of suffering, music can restore empathy and spiritual well-being for both the patient and the health professional.
Dr. le Roux's own belief in the practical value of music in medicine was realized when she encountered a thyroid problem 16 years ago. She was diagnosed late with hyperthyroidism and as a result, developed hypothyroidism and a thyroid eye disease. However, by listening to music, she has mastered the sub-clinical symptoms. Like the author, readers will discover how music energizes the body and mind in Music is Healing.
Dr. Frances le Roux has been a practicing physiotherapist for the past three decades. For the last 18 years, le Roux has been in private practice at Hove To Medical Centre in Fish Hoek, Cape Town, South Africa, where she uses music as a functional intervention during physiotherapy treatment. She holds a master's degree (University of Western Cape, South Africa) and a doctorate degree (Stellenbosch University, South Africa). The author is a member of the International Society of Music in Medicine and has authored several articles on the subject of music in medicine, which have appeared in various academic journals.

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