Weak lungs makes you FIVE times more likely to die from heart disease.
Do you know how strong your lungs are?
Your doctor probably checks your blood pressure every time you visit, but not your lung strength – even though the simple and painless test to measure it literally takes a single second.
Have you ever gotten the jitters before a major surgery? That’s totally normal.
But there are tools you can use to alleviate your pre-surgery nerves.
In fact, a recent study shows that this technique can even work for people undergoing breast cancer surgery.
I’m shocked at how many of our family friends have been diagnosed with this potentially ravaging disease.
My wife Tracey and I know of 12 women who’ve been through treatment… 12! And that’s just over the course of the past few years…
Overall, in the U.S. alone, it’s predicted that 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with the disease.
In most cases, women with early-stage breast cancer will opt to have some form of surgery, combined with other treatments like radiation, chemotherapy, or hormone therapy.
This, of course, is a very personal choice for each patient, and comes with a bevy of physical and emotional hurdles.
But the good news is, recent research has found that a five-minute, natural technique can help women quell the anxiety a breast cancer diagnosis—and subsequent treatments—bring with them.
And if our friends are any indication, a technique like this would be a welcome addition to any breast cancer patient’s treatment arsenal.
The simple pre-surgery prep oncologists aren’t telling you about
Our dear friend and breast cancer survivor, Nicole, recently described her experience to me:
“Nothing was offered to me to help reduce my anxiety before the surgery. I wish they had. After my treatments were over, I did have a spa day for survivors paid for by a local breast cancer group. They had a drumming circle there and tai chi and art therapy.
And while the spa day was nice, I couldn’t help but think that it would have been more useful to have things like this before or during treatments rather than after. I guess that they were celebrating me being a survivor. But it would have helped to have some of those things to relieve the stress of treatments.”
Fortunately, more and more researchers are working to turn the tide by highlighting solid research and promising results regarding natural treatments and therapies, like the one I’m about to share with you.
Music therapy relaxes patients before surgery
A first of-its-kind study shows some very encouraging possibilities with this pill-free, five-minute anxiety-relieving intervention.
The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, investigated whether music therapy could affect preoperative anxiety levels in breast cancer patients.
Over a period of two years, over 200 women undergoing breast cancer treatment participated in the study.
Participants were split into three groups . The interventions took place bedside, right before surgery.
Group one: Five minutes of live musical performance, featuring a song of the patient’s choice. This was performed by a credentialed music therapist and followed up with a brief conversation. Group two: Five minutes of listening to therapist-selected instrumental harp music on headphones. Group three: Standard preoperative care with no music.
They found that both the live song performance and the recorded music reduced the women’s anxiety by 43 percent and 41 percent, respectively—significantly more than the “usual care” approach.
Seeing these results, I can’t help but think why a low-cost, non-addictive and side effect-free intervention isn’t a standard practice everywhere?
People could be getting relief from their suffering without much effort—if they only knew about it!
Not to mention, other studies have shown that using relaxation techniques after surgery also helps to relieve postoperative pain and accelerate healing!
It’s my hope that as more solid research on music and healing gets published, more oncologists will take note and start integrating music as part of their routine cancer care.
Tips to alleviate pre-surgery jitters
In the meantime, if you or someone you know is scheduled for an upcoming surgery, here’s are a few tips to help calm day-of jitters and nerves.
Well before your surgery, be sure to ask if they offer music therapy. (Nowadays, many places do!) If not, take the opportunity to discuss your options and your preferred plan with your doctor. Of course, if you want to follow the design of the study, listen to some slow and steady instrumental harp music. (A simple search on YouTube can provide plenty of options.) You can also play one of your personal favorite songs to relax to.
It’s also helpful to get yourself into the right mindset a few hours before surgery…
Keep in mind that throughout the surgery process, there are significant periods of waiting around. And for many people it’s these waiting periods that can really amplify your thoughts and worries! Plan for these waiting periods by coming to the hospital prepared. Bring either a portable MP3 player or on your smartphone and headphones. Feel free to make yourself a playlist ahead of time. (The Spotify app is great for this!) Remember, whatever music you choose, consider avoiding songs with highly emotional content. Instead, opt for calming music that you’d listen to when relaxing in your happy place, meditating, or getting ready for sleep.
The bottom line? You can use music as a powerful tool to help reduce anxiety and unnecessary suffering.
And now, whether you’re going into surgery, or are nervous about a routine medical procedure, you now have a solid plan to make your experience as easy as possible.
P.S. – If you’re looking for some relaxing music to take into the operating room with you, I recommend my Donovan Sound Solution. It includes several audio tracks to induce relaxation.
Plus, after surgery, there are several tracks to help accelerate healing, using your body’s built-in systems to aid in your recovery.