Ian Palmer is proof that We’ve Only Just Begun to appreciate the healing power of music.
The 71-year-old suffered near-total paralysis and speech impairment as he was struck down by Guillain-Barre syndrome in June last year.
When medics suggested music therapy, including singing and doing mindfulness exercises while listening to his favourite tunes, the “typical Northern man” was sceptical.
But something about The Carpenters struck a chord and after playing their hits nightly he can now walk two miles a day and chat with family.
Ian said: “One of my goals was to walk through my front door and I’m now walking 3km a day.
“Improving my voice wasn’t on my list as I found it embarrassing. I learned music is unlike other therapies, as it opens up all of the brain.”
Ian was in hospital for seven months after falling ill. He said: “I was in intensive care, being suctioned 24 hours a day, as I couldn’t swallow, and this was leading to choking problems and speech issues.”
It was when he was transferred to the Sue Ryder Neurological Care Centre in Preston, Lancs, that medics taught him to sing. And his therapist, Clare, gave him the mindfulness techniques, for which he switches on The Carpenters – whose hits include Top of the World – every night.
Ian, from Blackpool, said: “Clare wanted something I could relax to and being of a certain age, The Carpenters was my choice.”
Ian, whose larynx was damaged, found working on his voice via music opened other doors in his recovery.
He said: “When Sue Ryder first suggested music therapy I said, ‘What good is that going to do?’ I’m a typical Northern man and I thought ‘What’s a girl with a guitar going to do for me? Get me to the gym.’
“But Clare explained the process. She asked me to sing a long note. When I tried, it was very staccato. Clare told me I needed to call on the diaphragm to assist. I said, ‘I don’t even know where that is!’ But she educated me on how to breathe.”
Ian, who is now back home, added: “There’s been such a positive impact – unless my family are telling fibs, they can understand me now.”
