Introduction
Contrary to popular opinions, healthcare is not just about unpleasant medicine or lengthy procedures. It also features pleasant activities, such as drawing, writing, reading, etc. While it may seem odd at first, even those leisure activities can provide doctors with important data on recovery processes and how a certain activity may affect it. The following essay will touch on some leisure activities and their impact on a patient’s recovery.
Leisure Activities and Their Impact on a Patient’s Recovery
In the article called Healing in Spaces, Cheryl Dellasega touched on her experiences as a nurse in “The Crescent” and hosting an orthopedic art exhibit. This opportunity was very important for her because the waiting room and the Pain Clinic looked very grim and upsetting. The exhibit had very strict rules about the art being shown here. This, in turn, is why Dellasega was very frightened when she got a request to call a patient room about it. Fortunately, the art actually made the harsh days of a patient and her mother much better.
As mentioned earlier, leisure activities can be used as a topic of medical research. During the research for an article from the Elsevier Journal, twenty-two cancer survivors were invited to attend tango classes. This was conducted in order to review the impact this activity has on the symptoms of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and how it affected their motor functions. While the psychological aspect was not reviewed in that research, there was a lot of other interesting data.
Firstly, all of the patients who attended those classes were equally satisfied by that activity. Secondly, posture improved among those patients who previously struggled with balance function issues. Thirdly, those who came with a partner attended those classes more frequently. Music has been known for reducing pain, thus, rhythmic music improved neuromotor functions in the cancer survivors who took part in the tango classes. The movement also played a significant role in restoring balance functions among the patients.
Finally, the topic of leisure activity and its impact on patients has also been touched in the novel-based movie The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, which was inspired by real events. The protagonist of the story, Jean-Dominique Bauby, developed locked-in syndrome after suffering a stroke and having been in a three-week coma. The man only had movement in his left eye, so his therapist created a system of communication to help him talk to other people. This system involved her reading letters and him blinking whenever she would name the right one. While the process was rather time-consuming for him, Bauby still decided to write a book for his deal.
However, he chose to change the topic by making it revolve around his experience with locked-in syndrome. Throughout the story, he depicted himself as being in a vintage deep-sea diving suit, with everyone around him being able to see his soul, represented by a butterfly. Not only did Bauby touch on his goals and regrets, but he also realized he knew people with experiences similar to his, such as his 92-year-old father, who is too frail to go outside the perimeter of his own house.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while leisure activities may seem to be too odd to be seen as helpful, they actually are. Art, dancing, writing, and many other activities can not only be used as a way to improve a patient’s mental state. They can also be used for research and how it affects their healing process. That way, they prove to be just as important for a patient’s recovery, as medicine and certain procedures are.