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| Velvet Underground fans will be familiar with the tale of little Jenny, who at just five years old felt herself languishing in the banality of a suburban existence. As the lyrics go, My parents gonna be the death of us all/ Two TV sets and two Cadillac cars/ Well you know, it ain't gonna help me at all. But one morning she turned the radio to a New York station, started moving to the music, and lo and behold, her life was saved by rock and roll.
The Velvet’s frontman Lou Reed said he wrote the above lyrics to the song “Rock & Roll '' as a reflection of his own experience. And you may have experienced the transformative power of music in your life. NPR senior editor and science correspondent Rob Stein says listening to music is the closest he’s ever come to having a religious experience. And he wondered what gives music that power to uplift us and invoke a sense of wonder.
Neuroscientist Daniel Levitin says some of how music works is still a mystery to scientists. But we do know it activates parts of the brain involved in pleasure and reward, releasing dopamine and opioids. Rhythms in music even help us feel connected to other people, literally synchronizing our brain waves – even more so when we dance. Learn more about the neuroscience of music, and take this as a sign to spring for those concert tickets you’ve been thinking about!
Listen: Why some music sticks in our brains |
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Between medical school and residency, physicians are some of the most highly educated professionals there are. Yet despite all those years of training, family physician Lisa Doggett experienced a near constant feeling of “ineptitude” for thirteen years of her career. Seeing patients in public health clinics, she worried over whether advising her patients to get care that she deemed medically necessary – like a trip to the ER or a visit to a specialist, was worth it if they couldn’t pay the hospital bill. Was she doing more harm than good?
Now working in health care administration and management, Doggett calls what she was experiencing “moral distress,” a condition health care providers find themselves in when they know what patients need but can’t provide it. Doctors, nurses and therapists are feeling increasing pressure to see a large volume of patients and spend hours documenting in cumbersome record systems – tasks that they say impact their ability to provide quality care. Laws restricting abortion and gender-affirming care and staffing shortages are adding to some providers’ low morale.
Doggett says there are no easy solutions, but a commitment to address social determinants of health – factors that affect people’s overall health like access to healthy food, green space and transportation – would go a long way towards relieving stress on providers. Most of us have experienced frustration in dealing with the health care system from the patient’s point of view – here’s a look inside what your doctor is dealing with.
Plus: Medical students aren't showing up to class. What does that mean for future docs?
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Reader feedback: Your tips for gardening with chronic pain |
Earlier this summer, we shared a guide to gardening for people with chronic pain, based on my interview with physical therapist and gardener Rebecca Stephenson. We heard from some of you with your own suggestions for pain-free planting and harvesting. Here’s a selection of your adaptations:
From Lori Stanlick of Peekskill, N.Y.: Due to a degenerative spinal condition (myelomalacia) I have needed to approach my garden with tender loving care…. Rather than risk strain (hands and knees not an option for me), I farm out part of the tasks. Neighbors, friends, partners, kids, can help with heavier tasks. Sometimes you just need something lifted to a table. Just ask.
Tools – forgot about them. If you can't do it with a hand tool, you can't do it. If you find yourself using the word "lug" you're doing your gardening at your own peril.
Be present -- watch your step. Don't step where your eyes don't go first (like step backwards without looking). The garden can be a space for mishaps and injury. It teaches respect.
Patio table seed factory -- since I need to go smaller and lighter in my efforts, and I like a good challenge, I decided to buy cheap trays with plastic lids to germinate seeds. This gets me into the garden early but on a table, nurturing babies into transplantable plants. I now have lettuce, kale, herbs and chard in every nook and cranny. This is my definition of a VICTORY garden.
From Sue Parry, Malta, N.Y.: 77 year old perennial gardener here. It helps me to keep up with weeding and deadheading on a daily basis. I often do it first thing in the morning, when it’s cooler out. And it gives me a chance to see what bigger issues need attention and plan larger gardening tasks in a manageable way.
From Carole Arno, Doswell, Va.: 30 years ago when I was 43, my PT said, don't use the same muscle group for more than 45 minutes. At 73, I do a different activity way before that. So I juggle the steps necessary to prepare a bed, weed, plant, mulch, and water. As I'm easily overwhelmed by high temperatures, punctuating tasks with frequent cool-the-core breaks inside has significantly improved my productivity.
From Diane Lucas, Portland, Ore.: I have chronic pain but enjoy working in the garden as much as I can. I grow tomatoes and zucchinis in huge pots from trees or 24" half barrels, which are well off the ground. I grow snap peas on the front porch in 8" pots set at the four corners of a metal trellis type frame on which the individual plants can climb. Berries keep themselves off the ground.
And I take a light dose of pain medication before going outside, so that I'm not coming back inside in too much pain.
We love hearing from you! If you have feedback, advice or a personal story to share inspired by any of our stories, please write us at shots@npr.org, and we might include your comments in a future newsletter. |
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We hope you enjoyed these stories. Find more of NPR's health journalism on Shots.
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