Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/77424
MUSIC AS MEDICINE When it was finally time to go, everyone started leaving Eva's room. I walked to her bedside and waved good- bye. She waved with her good hand. I then blew air kisses through my mask. Eva pursed her burnt little lips and blew air kisses back. The world just melted away for those brief seconds. Eva gave me more than I could ever give in return. No one will ever be as beautiful as Eva was at that moment in time. Music therapy brought happiness into a day that would normally be bleak. A smile and a kiss from a tiny pair of burned lips was not only a form of physical therapy brought forth by the music, but a true representation of what was accomplished on the inside of that little survivor that day, as well. The authors' burn scar massage therapy students—physical therapists from various Nicaraguan hospitals—share a song during music therapy time. Below, Chris, Jen, Jose, and his mom rejoice after Jose sang and danced for his captivated audience. LESSONS LEARNED As therapists, we have always understood the importance of massage for burn survivors. We both love music and understand that music therapy is also important. But it wasn't until we worked with Jose and Eva that we saw just how amazingly beneficial music therapy, in combination with massage and physical therapy, can be to a person's entire well-being—not just physically, but spiritually, too. We hope to continue to learn and grow, and to find new and exciting techniques and tools that benefit burn survivors. And from what we have witnessed so far, music and massage do just that. Hallwas, are the co-founders of Handle with Care Burn Scar Massage, an international continuing education program that teaches the physical manipulation of burn scars as well as the compassion of touch for persons recovering from a burn injury. Jen and Chris can be reached at handlewithcaremassage@ yahoo.com, Handle With Care Burn Scar Class on Facebook, or at 706-831-2889. Jen Hartley, NCBTMB, and Chris earn CE hours at your convenience: abmp's online education center, www.abmp.com 75