Welsh National Opera wellness programme deemed 'life-changing' – report

Welsh National Opera has released the findings of its latest wellness programme, which suggest music can ease chronic pain.

The pilot six-week online singing and breathing programme, entitled Managing Pain Through the Power of Music, has "substantially" relieved its participants, many of whom have labelled the intervention life-changing.

According to an evaluation report by organisational development consultancy Milestone Tweed, WNO’s newest programme spurred a 67% improvement in pain and discomfort and a further 67% improvement in anxiety and depression.

The evaluation report also revealed that a further 69% of participants reported an enhanced health-related quality of life, and 95% continued to use the breathing techniques and exercises after completing the programme.

Each session is delivered online in both English and Welsh and costs approximately £12 per person per hour – a figure the report deemed cost-effective compared to NHS physiotherapy provision.

"The programme has genuinely changed my life," June Evans, a programme participant from Powys, said.

Evans added: "Living with constant pain and exhaustion, I always feel better after attending a session. The gentle exercises and singing distract my mind from pain and stress, and the benefits last for days."

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