Understanding the Power of Entrainment

One of the most frequent questions that I get about my music with surgery process and headphones is "how do you know this works?" That's a great questions and very important to understand that this is not just a hunch I have!

When I began studying music therapy back in 1990 with Laurie Rugenstein, one of the first things I learned about was the power of musical entrainment. To make it as simple as possible " when people hear rhythmic music being played, they automatically begin to tap a toe, tap a finger, nod their head, or sometimes, get up and dance!

Now what does this have to do with surgery? Well, music therapy and medical research (http://www.pubmed.com/) databases are filled with scientific, empirical studies documenting that when rhythmic music is played for patients, their heartrate and breathing tend to synchronize with that music, often lowering blood pressure, lowering heart rate, stabilizing body temperature and all biorhythms.

Many of these studies played the music through headphones which not only delivers the music directly to the brain through the 8th cranial nerve, but also drowns out OR conversations, and sounds that the patient might not want to hear like drilling, sawing, and breaking bones!

The headphones that I have created are wireless, cordless, and completely re-chargeable. They hold 7-8 hours of specially-selected music for surgery or can be programmed with the music you choose!

Learn more about surgical headphones

What is the advantage of using "musical anesthesia?"

What exactly is "Musical Anesthesia?"  This is my patented procedure for using music during surgery (or other medical procedures) wherein the patient has specially created wireless headphones that deliver specially chosen music during surgery for the express purpose of reducing (sometimes dramatically) the amount of anesthesia required during the procedure.

Why would someone want to reduce the amount of anesthesia they require during surgery? Anesthesia-related complications range from headache to death.  Although people do not die very often from anesthesia, it does happen every year because of previously unknown allergies, anesthesia-related heart attacks, and other unforseen events that result in death.

If you knew that you could supplement the usual anesthesia with music in order to create a safe experience, wouldn't you want to do that?  I have created a patented a process to deliver that perfect music for surgery through wireless headphones.

 If you want to know more about this, please click HERE.  Thank you!

How soon should you talk with doctor?

If you have just been told that you are going to need surgery, there probably is a 50/50 chance that you knew this already.  But if it comes as a total surprise, you may be a bit numb at first and feel confused and even panicky.  No one wants to have surgery.  Even people who choose elective surgery, like plastic surgery, would prefer to have someone give them a pill or better yet, wave a magic wand!!

So, now you know you must have surgery.  You've heard that listening to music through headphones during surgery can greatly reduce the amount of anesthesia, pain medication and other meds by up to 50%!!  How soon do you mention this to your physician?

I wish there were an easy answer to this.  It could depend on how familiar your doctor is with this concept.

 Many surgeons today are quite familiar with people taking their own favorite relaxing music into the OR because there has been so much publicity about this phenomenon and the many ways that it can help during surgery.  Unfortunately, there are some surgeons that are not aware of these benefits and are not willing to even discuss it.

If you have just come across this blog or some of the many articles I have written on the subject at http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Dr._Alice_Cash, please feel free to email me through my site www.HealingMusicEnterprises.com or go to www.HealingMusicEnterprises.com/surgical_headphones.  

Even if it turns out that you're not allowed to use music during your surgery, you can still benefit from listening to music through headphones before the procedure, in the recovery room and after you return home.  Here's to your good health and your speedy recovery!

More info on the surgical headphones

Several people have asked me about the headphones...if they go over the head or behind the neck? The answer is "behind the neck." This is the newer way that headphones are being made today and we have had 100's of people try them lying down, walkikng around, leaning back in a comfortable chair or sitting up straight. So far, all of those positions are reported to be perfectly comfortable. I think it's important to know that, although the headphones come pre-programmed with the music that I have chosen as "ideal for surgery" once your procedure is over you can delete this music if you want to and put any music you want onto the headphones. They come with a USB cable and all instructions. But keep in mind, it's not about entertainment, it's about "entrainment" and synchronizing the heart-beat and breathing to the slow, steady pulse of the music! This 60-minute selection of music repeats in a loop until the headphones are turned off, hopefully when you leave the recovery area! Let me know what your other questions might be! Happy listening!

Do you want Headphones or MP3 Player for your surgery music?

Now that we've established what all the many benefits of music during are, what are the pros and cons of the pre-programmed headphones vs. the music that is downloadable to your MP3 player. For me, the most obvious benefit is that:

• the headphones are totally cordless and the MP3 player or iPod has wires that connect the earbuds to the player
• During surgery, or other medical procedure, you need to be able to move your head easily and many people report a problem with earbuds falling out.
• Although many people take iPods and MP3 players into surgery and do not report a problem, I think the cordless, pre-programmed headphones are safer and less likely to become entangled with anything the surgeon or nurses might be doing for you.
• Another advantage is that you don't have to worry about where to put the MP3 player. Although surgical gowns often have a small pocket, it's not really intended to keep an object in it and could easily slide out.

Of course either one is preferable to no music for your procedure. What's the downside? Absolutely nothing! Let me know if I can help you!

Headphones orders are coming in

I am so excited because people are ordering both the headphones and the downloads of the surgery music I've worked so long to choose and program. Soon I'm hoping to have at least 4 different genres of music to choose from but right now it's classical music. But, keep in mind, that you'll be asleep during your surgery and your body will be kept relaxed through the process of entrainment. You will hear the music while you're waiting to be taken back and you'll be aware of it in the recovery area, but it's not about entertainment; it's about entrainment! Please feel free to send me all your questions. After a few months of sales and questions I'll put together an eBook with the most frequently asked questions and concerns. If you're having surgery anytime soon, it's best to order them NOW! If I do get backlogged, you can order the download for $79.97 and load it on to your own iPod or MP3 player. Thousands are taking iPods into surgery now but they're not wireless/cordless like my headphones! To your good health! Alice

Surgery Headphones are ready for YOU!

For almost 20 years I have been reading about, thinking about and finally creating headphones for patients to wear during surgery. The research is there: through the process of rhythmic entrainment, patients who are listening to steady, rhythmic music through headphones, stay relaxed and as a result, require less anesthesia, less anxiety meds before and less pain medication afterwards! This is BIG because one of the things you must recover from after surgery is the ANESTHESIA! The anesthesiologist monitors all of your vital signs during surgery and by watching things such as your blood pressure, heart rate and body temperature, determines how much anesthesia you need. (This is of course, a great over-simplification of what he does.) When slow, steady, heart-beat tempo music is entering your brain directly through the 8th cranial nerve (thanks to the headphones) your bio-rhythms will entrain or synchronize to the pulse of the music, and you will stay relaxed as a result.

Most people are pretty tense and anxious when they go into surgery and need a little more anesthesia (or an anti-anxiety drug such as valium or other benzodiazepines) just to begin to relax their muscles. If the headphones are put on at least 30 minutes prior to surgery, less anesthesia will be needed in order for the patient to "go to sleep." When headphones are used throughout the surgery and into the recovery area, less anesthesia and less pain medication will be needed for the entire procedure!

These facts have been known in the field of music therapy for years, but until now no one had created wireless, totally self-contained, preprogrammed headphones just for surgery! Now that they exist, I hope that you will help me create safer surgical experiences for your family and friends but spreading the word! click HERE to purchase your headphones, or, if you wish, you can purchase a download of my specially chosen surgical music to put on your own iPod or MP3 player. Of course, the MP3 players are not cordless but still you can have the music.

Please feel free to leave your comments! To your good health!