Vim & Vigor - Spring 2014 - North Mississippi - (Page 35)

ovies like to portray hospitals as painfully quiet places, where focused nurses hand scalpels to unblinking surgeons, and nobody breathes a word. But in reality, medical centers are bursting with noise-beeping heart monitors, humming equipment, chatter and music. Yes, music. From Brahms to Billy Idol, from Tibetan bowls to African drums, music ﬁlls operating theaters and doctors' ofﬁces, and plays a larger role in our care than we may realize. Research shows that a familiar tune can steady a surgeon's hand, help a patient heal and unite everyone on your medical team. So the next time you face a health challenge, grab your earbuds, open a playlist and consider these four ways a song could enhance your life. TRACK 1 "Under My Skin" When lead surgeons walk into an operating room, one of the ﬁrst orders of business is selecting a soundtrack for the surgery. It could be a Beethoven concerto or a Beastie Boys concert-whatever helps them focus, says Matthew L. Bush, MD, an ear, nose and throat surgeon and the author of a recent study on music in operating rooms. "I've been in a wide variety of operating room theaters and have heard every type of music under the sun," Bush says. "The reality is physicians are people too, and just as diverse as real people's tastes are, that's just the same for surgeons and operating staff as well. That might be surprising for some." Surgeons say they listen to music to boost concentration, tame anxiety and stay alert. And a landmark 1994 study revealed this surprising fact: Surgeons performed better SPRI NG 2014 35

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Spring 2014 - North Mississippi

Vim & Vigor - Spring 2014 - North Mississippi
Contents
Opening Thoughts
Cardiac Caretakers
Mending Hearts
Occupational Hazards
The New Rules of Play
Shopping for Two
Back to Basics
Burn, Baby, Burn
Angelina Jolie
Rock Your Health
Breaking Up with Salt
Disgusting! (or Not?)
Virtual Health
One Day at a Time
The Doctor Will See You Now
Catch the Spirit

Vim & Vigor - Spring 2014 - North Mississippi