An Eastern Massachusetts hospital is set to mark 10 years of advancing physical therapy patients' needs with the assistance of a program for music therapy, according to a published report.
Four-year-old Estiven Romero is one such patient, WBUR reports. His work with someone who holds an occupational therapy job has helped manage his pain, minimize his anxiety and enhance his rehabilitative strides. The burn victim who was transferred to the Boston medical center listens as his therapist strums music on a guitar and he strives to stretch his injured arm and move the effected part of his torso.
"When people just listen to music and have a peak experience in music, the amygdala totally shuts down and there's no activity on it," his occupational therapist told the news source. "We're not silly to think that music therapists in a painful situation will cause a peak experience, but if we can get someone actively engaged in listening the hope and the theory is that we reduce the activity on the amygdala and thus, reduce the amount of anxiety and negative emotion the person may be feeling."
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupational therapists help their patients recover from injuries and illnesses to perform daily routines.