|
|
 |
 |
| Sunday, 12 September 2004 |
 |
|
 |
Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
Sound therapy - fantasy or reality ? by Ranga Kamaladasa. You have come home after a hard day's work exhausted and in a bad mood. You turn on your radio and listen to some relaxing music and your mood changes. You become relaxed and happy.
The link between music and human beings begin when the child is still a foetus in its mother's womb, and listens to his mother singing and hears music being played. Professor Sandra E. Trehub says: "Infants have distinct musical preferences, prior to their limited experience. They like some styles of singing more than others, and they prefer consonant music to dissonant music. Much as infants enjoy listening to their mother's speech, they are calmer and more attentive when she sings. What is most surprising, however, is infants' precocious perception of pitch and temporal patterns in music. For example, after hearing a tune at one pitch level or tempo, infants recognise it when it is shifted to a different pitch level or tempo. Moreover, infants remember precise musical details when a melody conforms to universal or near-universal principles of musical structure. All these observations and research have led the scientific world to a different kind of medical practice, Sound Therapy. In the past 50 years, some forms of music therapy have gained acceptance for behaviourial problems. As Prof Michael Thaut of the International Foundation for Music Research points out, "the growing adaptation of brain research methods to the study of musical cognition has encouraged exploratory research into biomedical applications of music such as the new findings that suggest music can stimulate complex cognitive, effective and sensor/ imotor processes in the brain, whose functions can be generalised and transferred to non-musical therapeutic purposes." Scientists believe that speech therapy could bring new findings for motor therapy, speech, autism,pain management, psychotherapy and cognition. Rhythmic entrainment of motor function can actively facilitate the recovery of movement in neurological patients afflicted with stroke or even Parkinson's disease. Rhythmic sounds act as a 'sensory timer' entraining brain mechanisms controlling the timing, sequencing and coordination of movement. Recovery of speech functions can also be facilitated with music, apparently exploiting strong timing mechanisms in music as well as possible similar or shared brain circuitries for music and speech. In addition, a small, growing body of research suggests music may facilitate perception and organisation of behaviour in autistic children. The use of music in pain therapy has been widely reported although the mechanisms underlying the effect of music on pain perception is not clear. New concepts of music in psychotherapy focus on facilitating coherence in executive functions through cognitive reorientation and emotional processing. New frontiers in this area of research include the effect of music and rhythm on the critical aspects of timing in learning, attention and memory. The Mozart Effect is a term for the alleged increase in brain development that occurs in children under age 3 when they listen to the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In 1997, Rauscher and Shaw announced that they had scientific proof
that piano and singing instruction are superior to computer instruction in
enhancing children's abstract reasoning skills. Shortly Shaw and Rauscher
stimulated an industry. 'Nailing' diseases of the body Nails are excellent indicators of our overall medical conditions. DR.FAZEENA HAMEED in an interview with CAROL ALOYSIUS reveals how the appearance of a nail can unlock the hidden diseases in our bodies. Q: How do healthy nails differ in appearance from unhealthy nails ? A:A healthy individual's nails are hard, translucent, slightly pinkish plates of keratin, that grow from beneath the nail fold.
The growth of a finger nail is normally at a range of about 1cm every 3 months, so that renewal of a finger nail may take 6-months, toe-nails may take from 18 months to 2 years. Unhealthy nails are pitted or have excessive ridging and are discoloured. Q: Is it true that the appearance of our nails can indicate various diseases in our body among other things? A: Yes, Nails can be an indicator of local and systemic diseases. Blue discolouration of nails This is common in cyanosis (bluish discolouration due to excessive concentration of reduced haemoglobin in the blood) and Wilson's Disease or Epatolenticular Disease, which is a progressive disorder of copper metabolism with accumulation of copper in liver, brain, kidney, corneas and other tissues. There is also condition known as Yellow Nail Syndrome where The nail plates become thickened, smooth, yellow in colour and with increased lateral fold. The rate of growth of the nail is decreased. This condition is seen in Congenital ymphoedrama (chronic swelling of the part of the body congenitally), in Thyroid Disease, Pleural Effusions (escape of fluid into the pleuras - lung cavity). Yellow nails also indicates Jaundice (excretions due to hyperbilirubinamia and deposition of bile pigments). Chronic Paronychi A: is a chronic infection of the nail-fold and present as a painful swollen nail with intermittent discharge. This affects the structure of nail and this nails become thin and loose and there is clubbing of the fingers. Similar changes may be seen in hyperthyroidism. Pitting of nails and excessive ridging could also indicate insufficient circulations. Pitting of nails may be normal if it follows trauma or excessive manicure. Q: What does having White bands on the nails indicate? A: In this condition the nail is separated by white bands parallel to the lunular and the other part/portion is normal pink in colour. This indicates - hypoalbuminaemia apoalbumisuring (insufficiency of albumin/protein in the blood). The nails returns to normal when the level of protein is restored. Q: What does the term 'Half and half' nails mean? What does it indicate? A: This is when half of the nail is pale or white, and the rest half is red or brown in colour. This indicates chronic renal failure. Q:What is Beau's lines? A: This helps to date the time of onset of an
illness. Also it shows the nutritional stat of a person. (This line
appears in multinutrition too). So if we observe any abnormal features in
our nails, we should consult a doctor. Secret to physical and mental health by B. Gamini Hemachandra, Secretary, Sunila Foundation In Sri Lanka over 80 percent of deaths occur due to common serious illness, such as heart disease, pressure and diabetes, which can be prevented with proper diet, exercise and improved lifestyle. Taking exercise is one of the most effective ways to help you avoid these diseases, according to scientific evidence.
Some people believe the only remedy to cure an ailment or disorder is to take an injection or depend on drugs. This treatment gives them temporary though immediate relief. A better alternative is to adopt a natural way of life, like yoga. YOGA practice is useful to overcome stomach upset, constipation, rundown feeling, body pain, nervous tension, habitual headache and stomach disorder. It improves muscles, the respiratory, digestive and nervous system, purifies blood and increase semen strength and mental power to keep you immune to disease. YOGA exercises play an important role in the prevention of diseases such as hypertension (high blood pressure), coronary heart diseases (heart attack), diabetes, osteoporosis, mental dis-orders. Undoubtedly Yoga helps to lower the blood cholesterol level to reduce blood pressure or to reduce the blood clotting power. People who engage in Yoga exercise may enjoy benefits other than those related to disease prevention, such as improved physical, mental and spiritual strength and flexibility increase in strength of bones, weight control. In other cases Yoga can help to slow down the disease and prolong life and to develop divine qualities in your own life. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
The belief that music has the power of healing the mind and body is
evident in all human cultures.
Physically inactive people have a 35 per cent to 52per cent greater
risk of disease than that of physically active persons. This applies both
to men and women.
