Listening to Music as Medicine
Listening to music is a common hobby and pleasure for many people. With so many genres and types of music out there, we all have our favorite artists and song. Recently, it’s been discovered that music goes beyond listening for pleasure. Studies have been conducted to use music as a form of medicine. Take a look at the effects music can have on the body and possibly be used as medicine:
Reducing Stress
Day-to-day life can come with many challenges and responsibilities that weigh down on us. People often feel stressed all the time which can wreak havoc on their mental health. There have been studies to show the link between music and reducing stress. It’s already known music can a direct effect on our emotions, but it can also significantly reduce stress. Many people already turn on their favorite song when they’re feeling stressed out, but studies prove it actually helps.
Pain Treatment
The sound frequency and rhythm don’t just help without emotions, it has also been found to be an effective treatment for physical pain. Psychologists Daniel J. Levitin and Mona Lisa Chanda have conducted studies that show music improves the body's immune system function. There has been other research on pediatric patients proving that the children who were listening to music while getting shots felt less pain than the patients who did not listen to music.
Healing Symptoms
Besides reducing pain, music can also heal symptoms of common diseases. When music is played, there are heavy vibrations. These vibrations from music have been found to soothe the symptoms of diseases such as depression, Parkinson's disease, and fibromyalgia. This type of healing is known as vibroacoustic therapy. Using this therapy, a low-frequency sound is used to produce vibrations that are directly applied to the body, usually by a patient sitting in a chair or lying on a mat with embedded speakers. Patients who use this treatment have reported their symptoms were much more eased.
