A late-stage Alzheimer's patient springs exuberantly into the moment to hum an old folk song. An Iraq war veteran, wracked by the telltale insomnia of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), uses slow music to calm his breathing and relax.
These are examples of music therapy, an alternative medical discipline with which instrument-toting healers tackle neurology's toughest foes, from Alzheimer's and PTSD to schizophrenia, post-stroke damage, autism, and Parkinson's Disease.
Music therapy has been around for decades, but only in the past couple of years has scientific research bolstered its anecdotal evidence of success. Recent studies have shown that music therapy can help stroke victims recover speaking ability, and Alzheimer's victims tap into deeply buried memories.
How then are the Bay Area's research hospitals, V.A. facilities, and nursing homes staying ahead of the curve? I'd propose a 1,000 word article featuring interviews with local therapists, doctors, patients and families willing to share their experience with music therapy, as well as skeptics who think the jury is still out.
The story will show how the once-marginalized alternative medical practice of music therapy has gained a foothold in Bay Area medical centers. By focusing on neurological diseases that are rarely or never cured, and for which the best option is sometimes low-tech music therapy, it will provide a fresh angle on health reporting that too often focuses on the newest drug or cutting-edge surgical technique.
