THE POWER OF MUSIC

The University of Bath has published a new study showing how learning to play a musical instrument can see a marked improvement in participants’ audio-visual stimulation and a reduction in the amount of stress and anxiety they feel

Anew study published by researchers at the University of Bath demonstrates the positive impact learning to play a musical instrument has on the brain’s ability to process sights and sounds, and shows how it can also help to lift a blue mood.

Publishing their findings in the academic journal Nature Scientific Reports, the team behind the study shows how beginners who undertook piano lessons for just one hour a week over 11 weeks reported significant improvements in recognising audio-visual changes in the environment and reported less depression, stress and anxiety.

The University of Bath researchers were PhD student Yuqing Che; Crescent Jicol, Lecturer in Computer Science; Chris Ashwin, Lecturer in Cognitive Psychology; and Karin Petrini Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor in Experimental and Cognitive Psychology.

This was a randomised control study (RCT) –a study that measures the effectiveness of a new intervention by examining cause-effect relationships between an intervention and outcome –where 31 young adults were assigned into either a music training, music listening, or a control group. Individuals with no prior musical experiences or training were instructed to complete weekly one-hour sessions. While the intervention groups played music, the control groups either listened to music or used the time to complete homework. But what makes this study different from ones done previously is that firstly all participants had no prior music knowledge; secondly all of them were tested before and after their training (or music listening, or the control group; and thirdly they were tested on mental health variables.

Co-author Chris Ashwin explains, “We measured them beforehand on their multi sensory (audio visual) processing, emotional processing and some mental health measures, before running the active musical training. music listening and control group exposure for 11 weeks. And then we tested them to see the actual effects of the music training on these different groups.”

It was found that within just a few weeks of starting lessons*, people’s ability to process multisensory information – meaning sight and sound – was enhanced. Improved ‘multisensory process’ has benefits for almost every activity we participate in – from driving a car and crossing a road, to finding someone in a crowd or watching TV.

These multisensory improvements were also found to extend beyond musical abilities. With musical training, people’s audio-visual processing became more accurate across other tasks. Those who received piano lessons showed greater accuracy in tests where participants were asked to determine whether sound and vision ‘events’ occurred at the same time.

This was true both for simple displays presenting flashes and beeps, and for more complex displays showing a person talking. Such fine-tuning of individuals’ cognitive abilities was not present for the music listening group (where participants listened to the same music as played by the music group), or for the non-music group (where members studied or read).

In addition, the findings went beyond improvements in cognitive abilities, showing that participants also had reduced depression, anxiety and stress scores after the training compared to before it. The authors suggest that music training could be beneficial for people with mental health difficulties, and further research is currently underway to test this.

Dr Karin Petrini from the University of Bath’s Department of Psychology, explained: “We know that playing and listening to music often brings joy to our lives, but with this study we were interested in learning more about the direct effects a short period of music learning can have on our cognitive abilities.

“Learning to play an instrument like the piano is a complex task: it requires a musician to read a score, generate movements and monitor the auditory and tactile feedback to adjust their further actions. In scientific terms, the process couples visual with auditory cues and results in a multisensory training for individuals.

“The findings from our study suggest that this has a significant, positive impact on how the brain processes audio-visual information even in adulthood when brain plasticity is reduced.”

Following on from this research, the university has plans to undertake further research on the power of music training by comparing a group of austistic participants with a group of neurotypical people. n

Music training sessions

Each music training session included two segments. The first 20-minute segment was dedicated to finger exercise. The second segment lasted for 40 minutes. All training sessions were carried out on a one-to-one basis. Participants learned these pieces in the order below. They proceeded to the next song once they could play the former one correctly and fluently:

• William Gillock A Stately Sarabande.

Classic Piano Repertoire (Elementary). • Johann Christian Bach Aria in F, BWV

Anh. II 131. • Giuseppe Verdi La donna è mobile (from Rigoletto). • Bryan Kelly Gypsy Song: No. 6 from A

Baker’s Dozen. • Traditional American Folk Song: When the Saints Go Marching In.

News stories, including details of an Ultimate Spa Day transformative experience, news about two hospitals offering new state-of-the-art equipment, and an introduction to repair and rejuvenation skin products

Lucknam Park has partnered with the much-loved clinical skincare brand, 111SKIN, founded and curated by renowned cosmetic surgeon Dr. Yannis Alexandrides. 111SKIN precision skincare treatments are designed to offer physical and emotional transformative rituals that promise indulgent efficacy, inspired by Dr. Yannis Alexandrides’s surgical expertise and multidisciplinary approach to skin health.

For the Ultimate 111SKIN experience the therapists at Lucknam Park Spa will tailor two 90-minute treatments specifically for your needs to leave you feeling youthful and radiant. A welcome cocktail, a delicious three-course lunch at the Brasserie and full use of the spa facilities are also included.

This is a revolutionary spa concept offering aesthetic performance face and body treatments in a multi-sensory, opulent spa environment at Lucknam Park. The new partnership will provide cutting-edge medical innovation, high-tech formulas, clinical results and a high-luxury experience.

The 111SKIN Ultimate Spa Day is available Monday to Friday for £525, or on Saturdays for £550. lucknampark.co.uk

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Sulis Hospital has a new state-of-the-art CT scanner as part of a £4.4m upgrade in advanced imaging technology, and Royal United Hospitals has had a new Truebeam Linear Accelerator installed in its radiotherapy department.

At the Sulis Hospital, the award-winning SOMATOM® X.cite CT system from Siemens Healthineers1 improves ease of use, facilitating optimised patient positioning and access for simplified workflows. The new scanner provides fast, high-resolution imaging, making the Advanced Imaging Unit at Sulis Hospital one of the most technically advanced radiology centres in the south west.

As well as being an advanced and complex CT scanner the new scanner at the Sulis, shown here, provides high-quality imaging, maintaining reassuring low doses. Its multiple functionalities, such as visual patient instructions and an 82cm wide bore gantry, allow examinations and interventional procedures to be conducted effortlessly.

At the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust a new Truebeam Linear Accelerator has been installed, replacing old equipment. In what has been a major improvement project for the hospital, the new accelerator offers modern, cutting-edge technology and will make radiotherapy treatment for patients quicker and more comfortable. The state of the art machine can deliver radiotherapy treatment faster for cancer patients and uses advanced techniques to deliver treatment with even better accuracy. The machine will also help clinical staff by delivering clearer images of scans. The eightmonth project has seen around 180 tonnes of steel installed in the walls of the room to increase radiation protection and fit out the room for clinical use. The linear accelerator cost £2million and was funded by NHS England. sulishospital.com; rhs.nhs.uk

At The Core is an innovative physiotherapy and wellbeing practice, which is designed to help patients find relief from pain and inflammation, especially associated with arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions. We ask At the Core owner Julia Tisdale about the company’s advice and recommendations and what new clients might expect

At the Core was established with the ambition of helping people lead an active life for as long as possible, so with this in mind, positive lifestyle choices such as good nutrition and physical fitness support an active lifestyle, which in turn contributes to good mental health. There is a wellestablished connection between being physically active and mental wellbeing.

One of the many conditions that can prevent people from being physically active in later life is osteoarthritis, which can cause joint discomfort and pain. The range of treatments we have curated At The Core –Physiotherapy, Nutrition Therapy, Soft Tissue Therapy and MBST Therapy –is designed to help patients be free of pain so that they can move freely and be more active. The National Institute for Health & Care Excellence (NICE) recently published guidelines for GPs that recommend prescribing exercise for osteoarthritis.

Everyone benefits from good nutrition, and we offer nutrition advice relating to sporting performance and in support of MBST Therapy. So yes, absolutely, we offer nutrition advice to any patient who wants to improve their diet plus nutrition advice relating to sporting objectives. We do offer a special ‘Complete Anti-Inflammatory Package’ which includes MBST Therapy, Nutrition Advice and Rehabilitation. MBST Therapy is shown to reduce inflammation and pain associated with certain musculoskeletal conditions, so an antiinflammatory diet which supports that is highly recommended if undergoing this type of treatment.

This varies hugely from one patient to another. Some patients come to us with a very specific goal of reducing pain and getting back to fitness –very commonly these patients want to get back to doing what they love such as playing golf, cycling or tennis.

Others come to us in so much pain that they can’t see past this, so the initial goal is to try and reduce the pain that they are living with. Conditions range from osteoarthritis and joint pain, to intervertebral disc conditions. For patients who are recommended MBST Therapy as part of a physiotherapy treatment programme, we often find that they have a new lease of life by the end of treatment. The MBST Therapy can rapidly reduce inflammation, helping to reduce pain and increase mobility. You can visibly see the difference in a patient’s confidence, and they are invigorated to eat more healthily and become more active for the first time in a long time. I love the positive impact that MBST Therapy can have on mental wellbeing as well as function.

We often get private referrals for MBST Therapy from Orthopaedic Surgeon Jonathon Webb, who has seen first hand the positive effects MBST Therapy can have on arthritic knees. We also have referrals from other physiotherapists, other MBST clinics and increasingly from our own patients, who are sharing their success stories with friends and relatives. We have recently partnered with King Edward's School and have seen students, parents and staff through our work with the school, and our local advertising with The Bath Magazine and community events have also brought a number of new patients to us.

All patients must have an initial consultation with one of our experienced clinicians who will do a thorough assessment of their condition. The clinician will then advise the next steps, which might be further investigation, physiotherapy and

If a patient has learnt about MBST Therapy from a friend, they usually want the same treatment, but every patient has to be approved by a clinician first.

• Seek appropriate guidance –a physiotherapist is usually a better first port of call than a GP or A&E; •A responsible clinician will then refer on where appropriate and guide you through the recovery process; • The initial stages of injury management are understanding it so that no further damage is done, and then mapping out a way to progress back to where you want to be.

It’s important to identify things that can be changed or controlled. Often getting one thing right will allow for motivation and momentum to be carried forward into other areas of life. Any changes need to match up to meaningful goals or the impetus to address them won’t exist.

Firstly you need to know where you are and where you want to get to, so set goals and work backwards from them. Then don’t try to change too much at once. Small incremental changes will help to make new behaviours become habit.

We recently discussed this very subject with a group who attended our Men's Health Event. Our initial assessments are geared towards helping clients meet their desired outcomes, and we are about to launch men-only yoga classes and are considering pre-habilitation sessions to help patients prepare their bodies to return to fitness, whether that be a gym, a specific challenge or they simply need some structure and direction. n

between. But this award-winning Bath-based private hospital can help ease pain and get you back on the path to recovery.

Shoulder pain is common amongst sportspeople but can affect others too. When this pain presents itself, it not only disrupts your sport but can impact your day-to-day life. However, thanks to Sulis Hospital, your shoulder pain could be a thing of the past.

Recognised for its “specialist expertise and high standards of care,” the Shoulder Unit at Sulis Hospital is a Centre of Excellence for the treatment of shoulder problems.

We spoke to orthopaedic consultant and shoulder specialist Gavin Jennings from Sulis Hospital who has a particular interest in performing advanced arthroscopic (keyhole) procedures to treat conditions ranging from instability of the shoulder to tendon damage.

He discusses treatment for instability in the shoulder which is a common condition: “A shoulder stabilisation operation is performed for a patient who has an unstable shoulder where the ball is slipping out of the socket.”

“What we’re trying to do with this operation is essentially restore normality. So, we would expect the shoulder to behave in the same way as the patient's undamaged shoulder.”

“The shoulder inherently is a very mobile joint but that also means that there tend to be issues with stability and is the most commonly dislocated joint in the body.”

But why might a shoulder become unstable? Dislocation is “very common in contact sports such as rugby. But equally, we see plenty of patients who have fallen skiing or coming off a bicycle for example. They will then have problems where they feel they just don't trust the shoulder and they will say ‘my shoulder feels unstable’.”

“There is usually some damage to the ligaments at the front of the socket and the cartilage, which is known as the labrum, as this pulls off at the time of the dislocation. So, what we’re aiming to do with shoulder stabilisation procedures is to fix that labrum back on.”

So, what should you expect at your initial consultation? “Diagnosis is usually fairly straight forward. What you are looking for is clear evidence that the labrum has pulled off. The way we do that is to get a special type of scan called an MRI arthrogram which involves putting some dye into the joint. When the labrum pulls away it forms a little cleft, the dye will run into that and it will show up very clearly on the scans. The idea of the operation is to repair this small piece of tissue back onto the socket.”

“This type of operation is done arthroscopically. A small cut will be made at the back of the shoulder and an arthroscope will be inserted, which is a special scope with a light on the end of a fiberoptic cable, which produces a digital image in high definition.”

“This gives us very accurate pictures of the inside of the joint as if we were actually in there looking at it ourselves. What this enables us to do is to make very good judgements about the levels of damage in the shoulder.”

“The other advantage of keyhole surgery is that we don’t do much damage at all in getting into the shoulder so we can go through fairly safe planes where we don't need to take any tendons off or remove any muscles, unlike open operations. Also, the recovery is quicker.”

He went on to explain the success rate of the surgery: “We know that this operation will be successful in stabilising the shoulder and allowing return to sport in between about 80-90% of people, allowing them to get back to their full activities.

“So a high-level sports person or rugby player, for example, because they get a great deal of physiotherapy input and they're being monitored very closely, can even be back to contact within eight weeks of the operation. A more average time would be three months to getting back to contact sport.”

He concludes: “This sort of surgery is extremely rewarding because you see a patient (often a young, very active patient) who enjoys their sport, enjoys activity and is quite unhappy when they can't play their rugby, cricket, or tennis, and you help them regain that higher quality of life.”

Bath Magazine heard from Jake Gibson, a patient at Sulis Hospital, “My career as a dance teacher and personal trainer requires ease of movement every day, so successful shoulder surgery was crucial. I couldn't have lived the lifestyle I have with a high volume of movement without the operation. Quality of life is everything to me and I am grateful to the surgeon and specialist team at Sulis Hospital for their expertise.”

The specialist Centre of Excellence for Shoulder Surgery at Sulis Hospital brings together experienced Consultant Surgeons; Mr Andrew Chambler, Mr James Fagg, Mr Simon Gregg-Smith, and Mr Gavin Jennings and dedicated rehabilitation therapists to provide investigation, diagnosis, and treatment to get you back on your feet as quickly as possible.

Sulis Hospital is a leading private hospital wholly-ownded by the local NHS Trust and proud to be reinvesting back into the NHS.

For expert advice contact Sulis Hospital Bath (formally Circle Bath) please call 01761 422288 or enquire online

Looking after ourselves has become increasingly more important with our National Health Service being under so much pressure. The world we live in dictates the need to take better care of ourselves. We are now just beginning to release how important our health is to all aspects of our lives. Not just physically but mentally as well.

Kinesiology looks at the body as a whole. We identify and treat the root causes of problems not just the symptoms. It uses muscle testing to detect imbalances in the body that can lead to illness. If someone is mentally upset, chemically out of balance, structurally out of line or their energies are disturbed the muscle will be unable to fully function. As all aspects of the body are continually communicating with each other, it is impossible to affect one part of the body/mind without the whole also being affected in some way.

Kinesiology restores imbalances in the body by reducing the effects that stress has on it. Eliminating contaminated chemicals and pollutants and releasing blocked energy, all of which have a negative impact on the body by making the body less efficient. Using a wonderful variety of therapeutic tools, all of which are non-invasive, we are able to work on these imbalances to bring about a beneficial effect. By restoring balance the body’s natural ability to heal itself is enhanced.

•Digestive issues (such as Irritable Bowel) •Hormonal issues (including PMS, Menstrual pain and Menopause) •Fatigue (including Chronic and post viral fatigue) •Depression and Anxiety •Allergies/food intolerance •Muscle and joint pain •Headaches/migraines •Sleep problems •Long Covid

Working together we can find the right path to restoring your health and get you well. Please feel free to contact me for a FREE consultation to discuss any health issues and find out how I can help.

Sharon Fry English Ivy Wellness www.englishivywellness.co.uk Email: englishivywellness@gmail.com Clinics in Bath and Bristol

English Ivy Wellness englishivywellness

When your lens, a small transparent disc inside your eye, develops cloudy patches, the quality of vision can quickly deteriorate.We meet one of the West Country’s most eminent eye specialists Adam Ross

Adam Ross is a Consultant Ophthalmologist with a subspeciality interest in cataract surgery including micro-incision and complex cataract surgery, medical retina and uveitis.

He carried out his training in Bristol and Cheltenham, as well as visiting fellowships in New York and Washington.

He has an extensive background in teaching and was the Ophthalmology Postgraduate Training Director and Head of School for Ophthalmology in the Severn Deanery as well as an Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer at the University of Bristol.

His main clinical practice is at the Chesterfield Nuffield Hospital, Bristol and is also involved in research within the subspecialty of retina at Boehringer Ingelheim. Furthermore, he sits on the board of trustees for the charity SRUK (Sight Research UK).

A cataract is a common condition that causes clouding of the natural lens of the eye resulting in blurring or glaring of vision. They usually occur slowly over time.

Surgery is the only treatment for cataracts and is recommended based on the severity of the disease and the impact on the daily activities of the patient. During surgery the cloudy lens is removed and replaced with a clear plastic lens in the same lens capsule as the natural lens.

Patients usually complain of a general reduction in vision, clouding of vision or other symptoms such as glare or haloes. Patients may find they also require brighter light for reading or other activities or that they are having to change spectacles on a regular basis.

Surgery is the only treatment for cataract and is recommended based on the severity of the condition and the impact it has on the daily activities of the patient. It is performed one eye at a time on an outpatient basis under local anaesthetic.

Some options include: Monofocal intraocular lenses are set at a fixed point usually at distance and are the most common lenses used in cataract surgery.

Multifocal intraocular lenses are recommended after a thorough preoperative diagnostic evaluation. You will be questioned on your visual expectations and lifestyle - both work and leisure activities –and the importance given to both and amount of time spent on each.

Toric intraocular lenses are recommended for patients with moderate/severe degrees of regular astigmatism and can be used in monofocal or multifocal lens settings

With all lenses, it is important that an extensive assessment is carried out explaining the pros and cons of each option, often with repeated measurements and detailed discussion with the patient.

It is important to see your optometrist/optician on a regular basis who can advise you on the general health of your eye and look for any signs of cataract. ■

• Mr Adam Ross is a Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon and is available for private consultation at the Bath Clinic in Bath.

Bath Clinic, Claverton Down Rd, Claverton Down, Combe Down, Bath BA2 7BR