A UK man with Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare disease that makes your own immune system go rogue and attack your nerves, was stuck in the hospital for seven months, unable to walk or talk — But guess what cured him? No, not some fancy-pants medication, but the soothing tunes of The Carpenters!
Yep, 71-year-old Ian Palmer credits his recovery to music therapy and mindfulness techniques taught to him by the clinicians at the Sue Ryder Neurological Care Center in the UK, according to StudyFinds.org. His therapist had him crooning along to his fave records, and as part of his nightly routine, he’d switch on The Carpenters before hitting the hay.
“I was skeptical at first, but it really worked,” says the once-paralyzed patient. Now, he’s walking two miles a day and having a decent chat with his family.
“Improving my voice wasn’t on my list of goals because I found it embarrassing,” Palmer says. “There’s been such a positive impact –- unless my family are telling fibs, they can understand me now.”