Pioneering physician Dr. Yang Chia-fu of the Department of Thoracic Medicine at Kaohsiung Minsheng Hospital has issued the first research results in Taiwan indicating that playing the ocarina can be effective in treating patients with breathing problems.
Not only did blood oxygen saturation levels return to 90 percent of normal in the study patients, they also were able to greatly decrease the time they had to use breathing machines.
Tao Jin (not her real name), 57, took a type of weight-loss pill 16 years ago and developed acute breathing difficulties as a result. In the years since, her breathing has been labored, and walking has been difficult. She had to rely on a breathing machine 24 hours a day. A little over two years ago, at Yang's suggestion, Tao took up the ocarina to try to help improve her breathing.
Tao said she was born with a tin ear and no musical ability whatsoever. At the beginning, she felt she did not have enough air and she did not feel like playing. Later on, though, when she felt her chest tightening, she tried to play the ocarina for 10 minutes. She never imagined that doing so could make her breathing easier, and make her less likely to pant. Her blood oxygen saturation level went from 70 percent to 90 percent of normal, and today, she uses a breathing machine only while sleeping.
Yang emphasized that in the past, music therapy was focused on listening to music. Having patients actually play the instrument is an active type of music therapy. Yang's choice of the ocarina, instead of the harmonica or other wind instrument, is because the instrument is lightweight and inexpensive, and it requires the musician only to exhale, never to inhale through it, while the harmonica requires both exhalation and inhalation. Yang is concerned that patients might inhale some harmful substances, and does not want to take that chance.
Yang has studied the ocarina with Kuo Ching-jung, inventor of the Taiwan flat flute, and he has learned to play over 100 folk songs from all over the world. During his clinic hours, he takes requests from patients. He found that playing the ocarina is beneficial to patients at home with respiratory ailments, and began to study the phenomenon.
Of 48 patients, half had disease too severe to allow them to play. The remainder mostly said impatiently, "I'm panting so badly I'm nearly passing out, and you want me to play the ocarina?" Many refused to even try. Finally, six patients were recruited, aged between 28 and 95. They participated in the study for three years, and had their blood oxygen saturation levels measured for statistical analysis.
Yang used social science research methods to investigate his topic, and this year was rewarded with a master’s degree in adult education from National Kaohsiung Normal University.
Yang said playing the ocarina is a type of therapy. It increases the number of breaths per minute and speeds up the exchange of gases in the lungs. Blood oxygen saturation levels shoot upward to 90 percent almost instantaneously, and the action of the cilia is stimulated. Playing the ocarina for just one minute can help patients to expel phlegm.
Yang is preparing to present his research results at the year-end thoracic medicine conference. However, he emphasized that while playing the ocarina can improve a patient's condition, it will not cure disease. The ocarina is only an assistive device, but one that can have positive effects on a patient's mental and physical states simultaneously.
(This article originally appeared in The Liberty Times July 1.)