In this post I would like to present to you some of the benefits of Music therapy. Many people already know the different advantages of Music Therapy. For those of you, who have heard it for the first time, let me put some light on this concept. Music therapy is a medium which uses music to promote positive changes in the well being of an individual. These changes can result positively in physical development, social and interpersonal development, emotional or spiritual well being and cognitive abilities.
The value of music for therapeutic purposes has been known and harnessed since ancient times. However, the use of music therapy in the modern ages dates back to the World Wars. Soldiers who suffered physical or emotional trauma were helped to recover with the help of music in hospitals and rehabilitation centers. The first ever degree course in music therapy in the United States was started by The University of Kansas in 1944.
You must be eager to know by now, that how does music therapy actually work?
Music is a universal language and connects across all strata of the society. It helps most people to respond in some way or another regardless of his/her mental or physical condition.
Music inherently generates an emotional response in the listener. A type of relaxation is stimulated which can therefore lead to physiological and psychological changes in the individual. Music is known for its quality of reducing stress even in day to day life, thus it also results in benefits related to stress such as lower blood pressure, improved respiration, better cardiac performance, reduced heart rate and reduced tension in muscles.
Another advantage of music is its ability to substitute for basic communication gaps between people of different age, culture and language! It helps to promote social interaction and to relate to one another and thereby encouraging verbal as well as non verbal communication. It is considered to be an invaluable outlet for expressing oneself creatively. Pain management is also a very important use of music therapy as it works by providing a distraction from the pain itself and helps to relax and relieve stress.
Research shows that music is processed in both hemispheres of the brain. It causes a kind of stimulation which in turn helps in the development of language and speech functions. It helps improve skills required for socialization and communication, self expression and promotes better motor skills. Music is also very beneficial in helping patients with autism spectrum disorder to respond in a very positive way; many of these patients seem to even posses high levels of musical skill.
Many medical problems such as dementia, developmental and learning difficulties in children and adults, autism spectrum disorder and many other problems can benefit from music therapy.
Initially music therapy was accepted by many quite intuitively and relied purely on its anecdotal evidence; it wasn't until recently that the quantitative evidence of its capabilities started to emerge.
In a recent study conducted by the University of Miami School of Medicine, blood samples of a group of male Alzheimer's patients who were treated with music therapy were found to have significantly elevated levels of melatonin, epinephrine and norepinephrine, which are chemicals which act on the brain to control mood, depression, aggression and sleep. The benefits of the therapy were evident even after therapy was stopped for six weeks and the effects of melatonin persisted even longer.
The acceptance of Music therapy is gaining spectrum in the medical community and outside. One can find music therapists in numerous institutions which deal with mental health developmental and early intervention programs, rehabilitation centres, correctional institutions, to name just a few.
Music therapy is succeeding in areas where traditional treatment methods have remained unsuccessfull.
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