October 2004 | Whole Health: Practitioner Profile
Uncommon Healer
by Suzanne Saucy
Alternative medicine comes in many guises. For Kaiser Permanente’s Cardiologist and Assistant Chief of Medicine, Dr. Jeff Ritterman, group drumming circles help create the right health beat. Ritterman completed a pilot study at Kaiser Richmond with 30 heart patients who attended four one-hour drumming sessions over a period of four weeks and self-evaluated their quality of life before and after. The study convinced Ritterman that these patients experienced enhanced states of well-being. The parameters defining well-being included physical health, reduced depression and stress levels, empowerment, trust, self-efficacy, and optimism.
Drum circle facilitator, Farah Mazandarani, RN, is deeply heartened by the changes she sees in participants. “One woman first came with her face set in a deep frown, making little eye-contact while speaking. After three sessions, she is beaming a broad smile, greeting newcomers with a twinkle in her eyes and speaking about approaching life with determination.”
Mazandarani was one of seven originally trained by HealthRHYTHMS, a division of REMO, Inc., to conduct the drum circles. A typical session includes a simple ice-breaking exercise using rhythmic shakers, beating out rhythms to express one’s mood, individually led beats that get the whole group drumming together, and a guided meditation with the “ocean drum.” There is time for talking, but the emphasis is on communicating through the drums and honoring each individual’s rhythms. In a matter of an hour, there is strong cohesion and mutual support among a group of mixed ethnicities, gender, and social class. “Many of the patients I see are socially isolated,” says Ritterman, “and the drumming session helps them feel connected with each other.”
An article in Alternative Therapies (January, 2001) reported similar results. Barry Bittman, MD, of the Meadville Medical Center in Pennsylvania, et al, conducted research with 111 age and sex-matched volunteer subjects; the results showed increased DHEA-to-cortisol ratios, increased NK cell activity and increased LAK cell activity — all indicators of immuno-enhancing changes.
Dr. Ritterman will “beat his drum” at an upcoming meeting of Northern California Kaiser cardiologists in hopes that this program will be adopted throughout the organization. He also plans to include group drumming along with nature walks, cooking classes and some didactic sessions as part of a lifestyle intervention for obese patients. And next in line is a program for employees at Kaiser — from janitorial staff to chief physicians —- to beat out rhythms of collaboration and stress relief.
Ongoing group drumming is offered to Kaiser members and non-members on a drop-in basis in Richmond (see “Ongoing” in this month’s Calendar or call Health Ed at 510 307-2210 for more information).
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