Issue 7

Inside this issue:

Cerebral Palsy and
VAT
Applications of VAT

NEWSLETTER

October 2013

Cerebral Palsy and Sound Therapy

What our patients

experienced with
VAT
Music Care Conference 2013

Cerebral palsy is a name given to a group of different nervous system disorders that are present at birth or appear in the first 3 years of
life. What they have in common is that the underlying brain damage doesn't get worse over the years. They also all cause some degree of damage in the motor neurons of the brain, affecting coordination and muscle strength.
Cerebral palsy or CP affects somewhere between 1 in 500 and 1 in 1,000 newborns, though some of them are only mildly affected. The risk
is highest in premature and underweight babies.
Since no two children are affected by Cerebral Palsy in the same way, treatment and therapy programs vary, so there are many different
therapy options to help children with CP live more independent lives, ranging from physical therapy to occupational therapy. Recently there
was a study conducted by University of Auckland-Liggins Institute in New Zealand and presented at The Endocrine Societys 95th Annual Meeting in San Francisco about using Whole Body Vibration Therapy to help increase the bone strength in adolescents with Cerebral Palsy.
This new study revealed that Whole Body Vibration Therapy is a promising approach for helping to
improve mobility. Also, another Recent study done in Croatia published 2013 in the journal of Neuro
Rehabilitation revealed that vibration therapy may decrease spasticity and improve motor performance in children with CP. The results of the present trial serve as valuable input for evidence-based
treatments in paediatric neuro -rehabilitation.
Another study conducted in 2011 by researchers in Zagreb and published in Collegium antropologicum has shown that there was a significant improvement in motor performance, what has been seen
in the facilitation of rotations, better postural trunk stability and head control and in greater selectivity of movements. Further randomized,
control trial investigations with bigger sample and included spasm scale are needed to gain better insight in the role of vibrotactile stimulation
in the facilitation of normal movements.
The above researchers explained the vibration affects in details: Afferent signals from the muscle's proprioceptors play important role in the
control of muscle tone and in the facilitation of movements. Peripheral afferent pathway enables the restoration of connections with
supraspinal structures and so includes mechanism of synaptic inhibition in the performance of normal movement. Different sensory stimuli,
as vibrotactile stimulation, excite muscle's proprioceptors which then send sensorimotor information via spinal cord. In this way afferent
signals promote cortical control and modulation of movements. The goal of this study is to evaluate the effects of vibrotactile stimulation on
the spasticity and motor performance in children with cerebral injury.
You can learn more about Cerebral Palsy and low frequency sound therapy or VAT effects on it by visiting our website at:
www. thesoundtherapycentre.com

Page 2
VAT has a
positive effect
on controlling
stress hormones
and brain wave
activity. It can
play an
important role in
managing
depression and
anxiety
symptoms

NEWSLETTER

October 2013

Applications of VAT
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ing
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patients
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a beneficial effect to reduce
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killers and
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and
depressants.
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mized
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quencies according to theThe
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joint
and area of involveon in our centre.
ment. In patients with Asthma, COPD using certain frequencies will relieve the
spasm and reduce tightening
of the airways. In general,
VAT is a useful therapy to
improve mood and reduce
symptoms of anxiety.

What our patients experienced with Vibroacoustic Therapy (VAT)

Samina (Fibromyalgia)
I am the mother of three children. My eldest daughter is happily married and my two sons are in
university. Two years ago I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia.

Last year, I had 12 sessions of sound therapy and it decreased my aches for seven months.
However, the pain not only came back but it gradually increased compared to last year.
Consequently I decided to take more sessions this year. The additional sessions helped reduce my pain.
Currently, I feel that my muscles are relaxed and moreover my fatigue has decreased.
I am thankful for the staff at the Vibroacoustic Therapy Clinic for helping me.

Music Care Conference and Research Symposia 2013

The Music Care Conference, November 9, 2013 is a full day Conference intended for doctors, nurses, social workers, religious workers,
family caregivers, long term care workers and many others interested in learning more about the potential and practice of using music in
the context of care.
Friday November 8, 1:00 5:00 pm. Music and Neurodegenerative Conditions
Dr. Gottfried Schlaug, Harvard University, Frank Russo, Ryerson University, Quincy Almeida, Laurier University, Bernhard Ross, Baycrest, Takako Fujioka,
Stanford University, and Vera Brandes, Paracelsus University, Austria.
Sunday November 10, 9:00 12:00 Music and Quality of Life
Sunday November 10. 1:30 5:00 Music and Pain
Dr. Ralph Spintge, Germany, Joanne Loewy, New York, and recent MaHRC research by Larry Picard, Lili Naghdi, etc.
For more information please visit: http://musiccareconference.ca/

The Sound Therapy Centre of Vaughan 2810 Major MacKenzie Dr., Maple, ON, L6A 1R8 (905)832-4346