Helpful Harmonies

Music has evolved so much over the years, but the one thing that has not changed is the way people feel when listening to music. For generations, music has improved people’s emotions while also easing pain and anxiety. Between making music, listening to it, and creating playlists for it all, people can use it as a distraction from the trials of life.

Music has such an impact on people’s bodies that music therapy is a type of treatment. Music therapy is the use of music interventions to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs. The therapists find the strengths and needs of each client so they can provide the appropriate treatment(s). Those treatments include singing, moving to, and/or listening to music.

“Music therapy also provides avenues for communication that can be helpful to those who find it difficult to express themselves in words,” musictherapy.org states.

Some ways these music interventions help people according to musictherapy.org are managing stress, alleviating pain, expressing feelings, enhancing memory, improving communication. Music, in general, can help with increasing serotonin and endorphin levels in the blood, increasing workout endurance, and eating less northshore.org shares.

“Playing soft music in the background (and dimming the lights) during a meal can help people slow down while eating and ultimately consume less food in one sitting,” northshore.org explains.

Therapeutic effects can be found in all types of music, but they differ in neurological stimulation. That means that classical music will be more relaxing compared to screamo punk rock that may give discomfort. That is why when doctors do studies on music and how it affects recovering patients, they will most likely play classical music. There was a study in Wisconsin that looked at 45 patients who had suffered heart attacks in the past three days.

“The subjects were randomly assigned to listen to classical music or simply continue with routine care,” health.harvard.edu informs.

The monitoring period only lasted 20 minutes but had very visible improvements for the music listeners. The patients who were listening to music showed a drop in heart rate, breathing rate, and the oxygen demand of their heart almost instantly.

“The cardiovascular improvements linked to music lasted for at least an hour after the music stopped, and psychological testing also demonstrated lower levels of anxiety,” health.harvard.edu adds.