The True Post(Web News) A unique example of the combination of medicine and art has emerged in Canada.
Montreal doctors are now allowed to prescribe tickets to orchestra shows for their patients. The move is part of a new trend called “social prescribing,” which is nontraditional but effective treatments that are linked to social or cultural activities. The Montreal Symphony Orchestra has partnered with the doctors’ organization Médecins Francophones du Canada to implement the plan. Doctors have been given special prescription boxes through which they can prescribe free tickets for their patients, according to the orchestra’s chief executive, Melanie La Couture. Each patient will be given two tickets to see the show of their choice.
The project aims to improve mental and physical health through music. Nicole Parent, one of the founders of the project, says that research has shown that listening to music releases endorphins in the body, which naturally reduce pain, increases dopamine, which is associated with happiness and memory, and reduces cortisol levels, which causes stress. According to her, music helps to calm the mind, reduce anxiety and improve cognition. According
to Keith Mulligan, founder of the Canadian Institute for Social Prescribing, this trend is not limited to music but is a broader concept of social and psychological treatment. Sometimes doctors prescribe exercise classes, community activities or national park passes to patients. According to her, these measures are especially helpful for people who are lonely or depressed.
According to one study, social prescribing has resulted in a significant reduction in hospital visits, emergency calls and ambulance use, which also benefits the health system financially. Experts say this builds trust between patient and doctor and makes the patient feel important and heard.
The program is currently being launched in Montreal, but orchestras in Toronto and Quebec City have also expressed interest. According to Melanie La Couture, this is a first step and in the future, the project will be expanded across Canada.
