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Essay On Complementary Therapies

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The demand for the integration of complementary and traditional medicine into healthcare practice is on the rise. In the United States, an estimated 1 in 9 children from birth to 18 years old use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) (Burns et al., 2017). Use is increasing among some of the most vulnerable populations of children such as those with chronic, recurrent, or incurable disorders (McClafferty et al., 2017). Chronic health conditions are often more effectively addressed with the integration of complementary therapies (Burns et al., 2017). Children and families are turning to CAM for hope in managing illnesses and improving quality of life. CAM includes a variety of products and therapies, new and old, many requiring more …show more content…

The combination of music listening and music participation engages more areas of the brain, improving patient outcomes.
MT can assist in achieving an array of goals based on the child’s specific needs. At the psychological level, music therapists can create sedating effects, stabilizing the physiological responses such as heart and respiratory rate. Alternately, stimulation and arousal can also be achieved. At the psychosocial level MT promotes freedom of expression and creativity to a child who may feel severely restricted living with a chronic illness. It provides a level of structure and familiarity promoting improved social functioning, increased attention and motivation, self-concept, and quality of life (Yinger & Gooding, 2014).
Implementation Into Practice
The ability of the music therapist to personalize each session allows the focus to be tailored to each child’s evolving needs. Therapy can be provided in a variety of settings such as in the family’s home, public schools, daycares, private practice settings, early intervention programs, or various other community settings. In the school setting, Music Therapists are hired to provide services to children with MT identified as part of their Individualized Education plan (AMTA, 2017). In the primary care setting MT can be utilized to reduce crying, distress, and improve pain perception associated with childhood immunizations (Stundar et al.,

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