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Music has been enlisted as a treatment for psychological and physiological conditions since Biblical times; as in I Samuel 16:14, David played the lyre for King Saul when he felt ill. As in many cultures today, music is an integral part of the Latin way of life, and as such, this qualitative, phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of 10 Latinas experiencing chronic pain who use music as a component of their treatments. The data was collected in triangulation including direct observation, taped interviews and journaling. Neil Diamond s Lyrics from Canta Libre and scene 20 from the movie Philadelphia were included as data and analyzed. Van Manen s (1990) method of analysis, descriptive-interpretive was implemented. This study provided glimpses into colorful yet somber and moving yet hopeful and joyful experiences of Latinas with chronic pain.

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Patricia S. Shakhshir, PhD: Nursing Education at Azusa Pacific University. Field of Study: Non-pharmaceutical approaches to pain control. Clinical work: Medical-Surgical Nursing and Pain Management. Work in Academia: Assistant Professor in the college of graduate nursing at Western University of Health Sciences; Pomona, California.

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