Baker
188 posts
Dec 16, 2011
5:11 AM
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Just saw this in the Seydel newsletter.
Interesting idea.
"Dr. John Schaman MD and SEYDEL developed this instrument for medical purposes mainly for improving lung function in many respiratory diseases and to reduce the 'normal aging effect of the lungs'."
http://www.seydel1847.de/epages/Seydel1847.sf/en_US/?ObjectPath=/Shops/Seydel/Products/medical
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Bart Leczycki
59 posts
Dec 16, 2011
7:06 AM
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It's very interesting subject!
Greg Zlap from France told me that he had musical-medical project like this for children in hospital.
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www.myspace.com/bleczycki
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arzajac
705 posts
Dec 16, 2011
7:56 AM
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I look up the Doctor's website and his theories don't stand up to scrutiny, unfortunately. It would be a lot more beneficial to proponents of the instrument if he backed up with statements with facts.
A big hint is when key statements are peppered with words in quotation marks:
He says (In "Why exercise the lungs?):
"Data reveals a 50% loss in lung function between the ages of 30 and 70, which is considered a “normal" ageing effect."
That's complete rubbish. People are exposed to harmful things and those things can harm the lungs over time, but this is not normal. There is no normal 30-70 per cent reduction of lung function with age.
"Those using their lungs in more extraordinary ways (horn players, opera singers, breath hold divers, etc.) appear to have less of an “ageing" effect""
I did a literature search in the medical library here at work and there is no evidence to show this.
"It might be concluded that certain lung activities reduce the loss of lung function that is assumed to be “normal” with aging."
Actually, staying away from burning tobacco would probably be on the top of the list...
"Aerobic endurance exercise which benefits the heart and general fitness does not significantly benefit the lungs."
That's skewed logic. If you have COPD or Asthma, your numbers (FEV1) won't get any better by exercising, but your lungs *will* be healthier in every other respect. So it does make your lungs healthier, but it doesn't specifically treat asthma or COPD.
"“Lung-specific" exercise may reduce the “normal ageing affect(sic)" of the lungs"
Again, he would need to define exactly what he means by "normal ageing effect"
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Last Edited by on Dec 16, 2011 7:58 AM
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clyde
189 posts
Dec 16, 2011
9:26 AM
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i for one still believe the advantage of four chords from this harp makes it a good choice. we all know a regular diatonic only gives you a couple of chords while the dr's harp allows you to play complete chords in several keys. i think that might keep folks playing it longer. i think it's a winner.
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Swezey8
114 posts
Dec 16, 2011
9:32 AM
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It's definitely a good idea. 4 chords all separated and easy to locate. But who's going to pay $200 for one? Harp players were hesitant to shell that out for a B-Rad. Medical patients who have never played before are going to pay that? Unless you could get insurance to cover it (good luck) I don't see it sensibly happening in the medical world. Just my opinion. Still, it's a step in the right direction in terms of attention towards the harmonica as a complementary rehab device.
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clyde
190 posts
Dec 16, 2011
9:43 AM
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yeh a little steep...but not when you look at the prices for other small chord harps. i believe they will sell quite a few to none medical patients.
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Jim Rumbaugh
618 posts
Dec 16, 2011
9:51 AM
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I have had the pleasure of meeting Dr Schaman at Augusta BLues Week in Elins, WV. He struck me as a sincere and dedicated doctor. But I can understand some of the questions raised. We also have a lung doctor in our local club, Dr Pete Ottoviano, who also runs a harmonica clinic for his lung patients (Reichter tuning, economical harp). My 2 comments.
1)If the $200 harp gets the patient to play longer, it's worth it.
2)If it could be billed through Medicare, there would be a boatload sold. :)
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theharmonicaclub.com (of Huntington, WV)
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arzajac
706 posts
Dec 16, 2011
5:31 PM
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Swezey8 - Now THAT'S how it's done. Good luck! And please keep us updated!
Here in Canada (and in the U.S.) there is a new trend towards patient-centered care. That is, the patient is empowered to be the team leader in the decision-making process, as opposed to Doctor-centered care where the physician is the focal point. Many new initiatives are easier to incorporate into practice if they are patient-centered care friendly.
I can see your project fitting in well with that, where the patient, harp in hand, is made the band leader...
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Last Edited by on Dec 16, 2011 5:31 PM
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Greg Heumann
1376 posts
Dec 16, 2011
5:41 PM
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Hmmm. Who will pay $200 for one? Every patient who has one prescribed for him or her. You go to the hospital for care, you pay $200 for the freaking band aid. These harps will be prescribed by doctors and paid for by health insurance companies.
I've met John and seen the harp. I was very impressed with both. John has been working on this for at least as long as I've known him, - I first met him at SPAH 4 years ago.
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/Greg
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Swezey8
115 posts
Dec 16, 2011
7:36 PM
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@ Arzajac- Yes that is the new focus of the medical community and an area in which our hospital is trying to delve into. Music therapy fits well into that avenue of providing patient centered care. I'll try to keep updates on the status of our research. The grant will be $250,000 for the full scale study. We hope to find some significant results!
@ Greg- most definitely! If these could be prescribed as medical instruments and insurance covered the cost than the price is insignificant. That would be wonderful for both the music therapy and harmonica worlds, and for Dr. Schaman. However, there is currently no large scale quantitative research supporting the harmonica as a pulmonary rehab device in place of common devices such as incentive spirometers. There are some small case studies and fragmented claims but no insurance company is covering a musical instrument without clear data supporting its effectiveness. Hopefully it's not too far away, but we need the numbers to back it up first. And until then, the harmonicas are expensive for the average hospital to utilize.
Now if it was a new drug being developed insurance would cover that much quicker... Sad but true
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