The onset of asthma is particularly frightening for children. When the symptoms of asthma decrease, children and parents forget about the maintenance and control of breath and lung volume. Because adherence is so poor, asthma is known as the emergency room illness. The playing of a wind instrument is a unique way to provide a creative means for children and teens to understand both the impact of diaphramatic breathing and their ability to control it as well. This study builds upon the evidence, though sparse, that suggest that the blowing of a wind instrument with clinical music therapy intervention strengthens the muscles of breathing and fortifies the incentive toward attending to the daily symptoms and general management of asthma.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
TRIPLE
Enrollment
200
Beth Israel Medical Center
New York, New York, United States
Quality of Life
The Juniper Questionnaire is a stringent quality of life measure that provides interview for children and teens and their parents. It is one of the few scales that requires these interviews to occur separately, so that children and parents do not feel compelled to answer what they think the other desires to hear. We also used take home journals and a comprehensive medical assessment to learn of ER visits, missed school days, avoidance of medication, and allergens in the home, as well as socio-economic status - these factors are known in the literature to effect outcomes and exacerbations with this population.
Time frame: 6 months
Increase volume capacity
Spirometry enabled us to analyze the possible effects of wind playing on the child's breathing
Time frame: 6 months
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.