LSC
798 posts
May 07, 2019
10:54 AM
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A little over 21 years ago I had my 2nd heart attack followed by a quadruple bypass. About 7 years ago things went south again with the onset of unstable angina. A cath scan determined that all the bypasses no longer existed having basically dissolved. This left one remaining artery which had a 50% blockage. So, I've been living on half an artery for years with the aid of a pile of meds. So that's the background. Here's how this relates to harmonica.
I've been a pro and semi-pro for decades. My GP explained to me that the body will actually grow new capillaries to get around blockages if subjected to sufficient cardio work. Both he and I are convinced that all the running I used to do set me up but that my continued playing is no doubt a contributing factor to my still not only being alive but still playing on a regular basis. My friends and family who know my history are to this day amazed that I can physically do what I do when playing. "How can that man wail on that thing like that!" My GP has come to see me play a few times and after the first said to me, "Dude, that's a cardio workout all by itself. Heart problem? What heart problem?"
So folks, contrary to popular belief, playing harmonica is good for your health and good for your heart, both physically and spiritually. I am literally living proof.
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LSC
Last Edited by LSC on May 07, 2019 10:56 AM
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jbone
2915 posts
May 07, 2019
12:21 PM
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That's a very important point to make LSC. Oxygenating oneself has some huge benefits as far as I can tell.
I'm a 35 year smoker who stopped about 8 years ago. I have played harp for 47. Madly played for about 25. I firmly believe that playing harp has kept my lungs and probably heart in better shape than otherwise.
Since I stopped smoking my breath control has def improved. My voice has plenty of grit left in it but I have found that I have much less sinus and throat issues to deal with especially when gigging. There was a time I would blow my voice out halfway through a gig, and part of that was due to bad habits. Steadily learning more about focus rather than force has helped both my playing and singing.
Some doctors have developed therapy for pulmonary patients using harmonicas.
So not only is harmonica playing a sort of soul food, you can make a buck or two here and there, and it's GOOD for you!
Side note, today we visited a neurosurgeon about my wife's recent vertebral fracture. He cleared her to play guitar 3 weeks ago and today we're cleared to travel if she gets enough breaks on the road. So we gave him a CD. Really great guy and doctor as well.
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Music and travel destroy prejudice.
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Sarge
721 posts
May 07, 2019
3:29 PM
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My Dad started playing a harmonica when he was around 8 and was still playing it in his 90's. He passed away this past Dec 27 at the age of 97. He smoked from the time he was 14 till 82. Yep I think the harmonica is good for your health.
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Wisdom does not always come with old age. Sometimes old age arrives alone.
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nacoran
10111 posts
May 07, 2019
5:53 PM
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It's good for asthma and other breathing problems too. Not bad for mental health either. It is actually really good for panic attacks as well. When you are having one one of the common symptoms is a hard time breathing 'regularly'. Harmonica forces you out of the panic breathing pattern.
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Spderyak
268 posts
May 08, 2019
4:14 AM
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I have been repaired a time or two.
I have no pain when I play therefore I practice and play quite a lot.
Good for cognitive skills as well.
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knight66
90 posts
May 08, 2019
5:34 AM
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Which is why, I presume Seydel make the pulmonica to help people with severe breathing problems.I didn't know about this until yesterday. I came across it looking for stuff on the Sevdel site.
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LSC
801 posts
May 12, 2019
10:17 AM
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knight66 - I'll be damned. Didn't know such a thing as a pulmonica even existed. It shows the character of Seydel as a company that they would even come up with such a thing. My longest serving friend, a chronic smoker, died of COPD, with complications caused by an imbecile of a housemate.
Here's the URL to the page on Seydel's website. https://www.seydel1847.de/epages/Seydel1847.sf/en_US/?ObjectPath=/Shops/Seydel/Products/PULM_/SubProducts/PULM_2.0_book
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LSC
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SuperBee
5956 posts
May 12, 2019
3:02 PM
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I don’t think Seydel actually came up with it. They are just the manufacturer. It’s a Seydel product in the same way as the Bushman Soul’s voice is a Seydel product, or that the Lee Oskar is a Tombo product. It’s built to order and marketed by the developers who are North American clinicians I believe.
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Spderyak
269 posts
May 13, 2019
3:51 AM
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I notice the thread has drifted from Cardio to Pulmonary.
I would be curious if anybody does any exercises before they play or practice.
I do not do it consistently..if I do it is push ups that I do.
other than that do most of us practice or play standing up or sitting etc.
It might make an interesting topic, though perhaps there is already an old topic along those lines..
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groyster1
3360 posts
May 13, 2019
4:14 AM
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the heart and lungs work together....unoxygenated blood is transported by the pulmonary artery to the lungs where the blood is oxygenated and returns to the heart via the pulmonary vein
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SuperBee
5957 posts
May 13, 2019
4:23 AM
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I noticed Seydel have another medical harmonica on their site besides the ‘Pulmonica’.
From reading between the lines I think the Pulmonica is a Session Steel tuned to Low G, which is a very low-tuned harp.
It sells for only slightly more than other low tunings (or maybe the same. Similar anyway)
This other medical harp is set up as a diatonic-size chord harp. It plays Fmaj, F7, Gmaj, G7 in the blow reeds, and the C and D equivalents in the draw plate.
About $250. They have lungs and a ecg heartbeat trace as a logo so I guess it’s the same idea
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ME.HarpDoc
358 posts
May 15, 2019
3:27 PM
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I believe the special medical harp SuperBee is referring to was developed to make Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) training more interesting. When used with the updated training mannequin, the harp is placed over the mouth of the “victim” and when the student supplies breaths, both the draw AND blow notes sound at the same time providing an harmonic that stimulates a breathing response! (Just kidding for those who might take this seriously)
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knight66
94 posts
May 16, 2019
4:08 AM
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MEHarpdoc, now that's funny, as an ex first aider I can imagine what that would be like in training sessions. Thanks for the unexpected laugh.
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Harpaholic
944 posts
May 21, 2019
1:34 PM
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I had to put on a Band-aid the other day, does that make me an ex first aider?
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