Ways Music Can Treat Pain: For some, music may seem like it’s merely entertainment. For others, music can change their lives completely. It impacts one’s emotions and perspective by helping people calm down when they are stressed and cheer up when they are sad. It’s an important part of our lives, which is why now, music is commonly used as a treatment method for illnesses, addictions, and chronic pain.
Learn more about how music is being used in facilities across the world for positive health effects.
1. Addiction Recovery
After World War II was over, musicians and bands traveled across the United States to perform for veterans of combat who had suffered physical and mental wounds. Their pain decreased dramatically, and they found themselves feeling better mentally, too. Medical professionals at the time noticed these positive effects. It was out of this that treatment involving songs was born.
In recovery homes like New Life House, people struggling with addiction recovery can bond over their love for music and find the most effective treatments for their addiction problems. See newlifehouse.com for more information.
2. Stress Reducer
Listening to songs can have a relaxing effect on the body and help someone to calm down, especially if the tune is slow and classical. This music can have a beneficial effect on basic physiological functions. It can lead to lowered blood pressure, decreased amounts of the hormones that cause stress, and slow the pulse and heart rate. Classical tunes have proven to be so powerful that they can even raise someone’s IQ.
Rhythm and melody are essentially health foods for your mood. If you ever need a pick-me-up or encouraging message throughout the day, play some of your favorite artists. It is sure to improve your mood.
3. Pain Management
In general, music can reduce the amount of pain medication an individual needs to take. It helps to decrease the perception of pain, relieve depression, and even give some people a better sense of ownership and control of their pain. Not only does it help improve suffering, but it also helps your confidence in dealing with that suffering. For people with dementia, music can even benefit their quality of life.
4. Memory Booster
Whenever you listen to a particular song, it might remind you of a specific time or experience. Unique songs stimulate memory in several ways. When you “get a song stuck in your head,” that shows how quickly music can be ingrained into the mind.
Studies have shown that classical pieces enhanced the memory of patients with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. In these studies, scores on memory tests improved after listening to classical selections.
Using music to retain information and enhance learning can help you develop a longer attention span. It assists by evoking emotions or even creating visual images. Students, even if they are adults, have agreed that music helps them to focus on the task at hand and also greatly improves their mood.
5. Restore Lost Speech
For people recovering from a traumatic brain injury or a stroke, music can help a lot. These brain injuries and strokes damage the region of the left brain hemisphere, which is the part responsible for speech.
The ability to sing comes from the right side of the brain, and people can work around their injuries to the left side of the brain by first singing their thoughts and feelings. From there, they can gradually drop the melody of the song. Even if the ability to speak has been seemingly destroyed, you have the potential to restore your abilities through music therapy.
Overall, music has helped people overcome a variety of ailments. From addiction problems to stress, chronic pain, and neural ability, the power of music has changed lives.
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