How music helps improve health

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Have you ever heard the term "musical medicine"? This is still a young but promising branch of science that studies the positive effect of music on the human body. Of course, it is impossible to cure cancer by listening to Mozart, but music still contributes to our well-being and well-being. How this happens, says Victoria Williamson, a psychologist and author of the book "We are the music".

How often do we resort to music: when we feel bad, when we want to cheer up, calm down and stop being sad, when we so need support and comfort. But if not ourselves, but the doctor is engaged in strengthening the health of patients, using the emotions and experiences from music and the relationships that are formed due to these emerging feelings, we can already talk about music therapy. There is evidence that music therapy allows patients to be discharged from the hospital much earlier and even given less medication. But what then is “musical medicine”? And this is what we talked about at the very beginning – when music is needed to improve a condition or situation, but the doctor is not present. So what are the mechanisms by which songs and instrumental works affect human well-being? Let's look into this issue.

 

How it works

Music affects our physical and psychological state – emotions, mood, memory and memories, concentration, mental and physical activity – through various mechanisms.

How music helps improve health

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1. Relaxation of the autonomic nervous system

The body reacts to music in a special way, and this is one of the reasons for increasing human well-being. Relaxation (or relaxation) of the autonomic nervous system includes a chain of physiological indicators:

  • the pulse decreases and breathing slows down;
  • blood pressure goes down;
  • relieves muscle tension.

The result of the above changes is a decrease in pain sensitivity, a decrease in anxiety and stress. That's why we want to listen to our favorite song so much when we feel bad (both mentally and physically). In one study, interesting results were obtained: during surgery with local anesthesia, patients could control the degree of pain relief by adjusting the amount of anesthetic. It turned out that when listening to their favorite music, they needed 43% less medication.

 

2. The reaction of the brain to your favorite music

When we hear a tune that we categorize as our favorite music (for whatever reason, such as having fond memories of youth), neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, are released in the brain, which make us feel pleasure, joy, and increased motivation. The more often we listen to songs that we like, the stronger the effect of neurotransmitters becomes. Interestingly, the same effect appears when we hear a song for the first time, but it belongs to our favorite genre (say, alternative rock or lounge).

 

3. Hormonal and immune changes

Since the brain produces natural opiates (neurotransmitters), much less cortisol begins to be released – this is the so-called stress hormone, it helps to collect energy for an emergency reaction of the body in case of force majeure. The higher the level of cortisol, the more we are stressed and ready for danger. Accordingly, the less cortisol in the body, the more relaxed and calm the person. It is also curious that even one session of music therapy increases the amount of immunoglobulin A – a natural antibody of our immune system, which means that the body resists diseases better.

How music helps improve health

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Music and the well-being of adults and children

What diseases can music help with, except for its therapeutic effect under normal conditions, when we are healthy, but just want to cheer up and cheer ourselves up? Scientists know a lot of examples when listening to music contributes to the mental and physical development of children with various diseases. It is likely that music can have a similar effect on the brain of an adult, because, as you know, the brain develops, is capable of learning and perceiving various kinds of external influences throughout life. The mind is changing and so are we! This is probably why there is scientific evidence showing that music has a positive effect on patients in a coma, stroke survivors, as well as people with loss of mobility.

 

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

In recent years, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has been very commonly diagnosed in children, adolescents and adults. Impulsivity, an inability to sustain attention on one object for long, and increased activity are the main symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. But music helps to streamline the actions of such people. To find out what the song is about, you have to listen to it, right? And it develops concentration. In addition, music helps regulate your emotions, which reduces impulsivity by an order of magnitude.

 

Autism

Early childhood autism is a congenital disease, the main symptom of which is serious difficulties in communication and behavior. Children do not want to contact with others, they are afraid of any changes (even rearranging the furniture in the room), fixated on various “strange” things from the position of an ordinary person. It is very difficult to communicate with such a child. And music can be an invaluable communication tool, because words are not so important! Such children very often have an increased sensitivity to the sounds of music. This is probably why music helps them make eye contact, develop speaking and communication skills.

How music helps improve health

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Stroke

Music also has a positive effect on the brain recovering from a stroke: concentration of attention and verbal memory improve, the feeling of despondency and confusion disappears, and in some cases orientation in space improves. Interestingly, listening to audiobooks does not have this effect.

 

Coma and mechanical ventilation

Even in an unconscious state, a person hears the sounds of the surrounding world. No wonder doctors recommend talking to people in a coma: one day it can become a lifeline that will help you get out of the abyss of oblivion. It has been established that the melodies heard by people in a coma can relax and normalize breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure. Scientists believe that music therapy can be used (but, of course, with great care) to manage the stress of patients in a coma and on mechanical ventilation.

How music helps improve health

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Loss of mobility

In about 80% of stroke cases, people lose their mobility (in whole or in part, temporarily or permanently – depends on many factors). People with Parkinson's disease face the same problem. With the help of a special type of music therapy – rhythmic audio stimulation (instrumental music with a clear rhythm) – it is possible to achieve improvements in walking: people begin to move less stiffly and more evenly even after the first session of such therapy.

 

Music helps people. It is a fact. Physical and mental health improves, mood improves, people become more sociable and friendly, more focused and sympathetic. And even though modern science does not yet know exactly what exactly leads to a positive result – there are only dozens of intriguing versions – this mystery will probably be solved soon.

How music helps improve health

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Source: 4brain.ru