Musical Healing Power For Cancer Patients

Nov. 23 (KGO) -- More and more people are using alternative therapies in medicine. As ABC7's Dr. Dean Edell reports, one growing trend is using music therapy to help cancer patients.

Sound fills the room and touches Alexis like nothing else can, especially when she joins in.

Alexis Vanden Bos, breast cancer patient: "It's just like, 'wow, I can just have fun,' and just bam bam bam bam bam bam bam -- just really knock away at it."

Alexis was diagnosed with breast cancer last year. After months filled with chemotherapy, radiation, pills and pain, she needed some joy. And like more and more cancer patients, she found it in music.

Alexis Vanden Bos: "When I'm playing the instruments, I don't feel like I'm in pain and I'm pretty much in pain 24/7."

Doctor Anthony Back says music therapy can offer relief for patients when used with standard cancer treatment. It can lessen nausea and vomiting from chemo, reduce pain, and help patients heal.

A recent study shows music therapy reduced anxiety by 27 percent and moodiness by 37 percent.

Anthony Back, M.D., oncologist: "Clearly, there's a special part of the brain that responds to music and that can take that in even if you're quite impaired in other ways."

Music therapists are trained to counsel patients and find them the right music.

Sha'ari Garfinkel, music therapist: "The sound that's going to be most effective is something that is pleasing to the person that they like that's meaningful for them."

While some patients prefer just to listen to music, others -- like Alexis -- feel a sense of control by playing.

Alexis Vanden Bos: "There may be things that I can't do anymore because of the cancer or because I'm in a lot of pain right now, but there are new things that I can do."

New things that give her strength to fight her disease.

Some studies have found music therapy can also lower heart rate, blood pressure and breathing rate. Researchers say you don't have to have any musical talents to benefit from music therapy

To learn more about music therapy, click here.

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