A restorative facility in northern Westchester is using a new recovery technique for COVID-19 long-haulers, or people who have long lasting, lingering effects from the virus.

Patients at the North Westchester Restorative Therapy and Nursing Rehabilitation Center have found a harmony between music therapy and physical therapy.

Michael Cohen, who works at the facility, says one mode of therapy is cardio drumming. He says this is a, “full-body exercise to help increase their aerobic capacity, their stamina, their strength, their endurance."

Patients also play the harmonica to help with breathing and lung strength.

This therapy is not just for COVID-19 patients, it also helps those with COPD, those recovering from heart attacks, and more.

Lou Goodman is a 66-year-old resident of the facility who has COPD and suffers from shortness of breath. He says he has noticed a big difference using the musical therapies.

“With the harmonica, you can tell intake by how long the notes go, exhalation by how long the notes go,” he says. “When you can see the stuff and you're actually doing the stuff, the results are a lot more palpable, it's a lot more fun."

Cohen says the combination of music and physical therapies have been a success for many patients.

"I think we've seen improvements in terms of their ability to decrease their shortness of breath, to build up their tolerance, and be able to go home quicker,” he says.