Let Music Heal Your Heart, Mind, and Soul

Music as they say is a universal language. It could transcend languages, time, and cultural differences. It can make you laugh, cry, renewed, and smile. Studies even indicate that classical music improves concentration while studying because it decreases heartbeat leading to a relaxed mind and body.

But more than affecting your mood and mental performance, studies reveal that music have therapeutic benefits. Called the music therapy, it could significantly lessen blood pressure, reduce pain and anxiety, enhance relaxation, communicate with brain-damaged patients, and even set the pace for gait training.

Music therapy is defined by the Canadian Association for Music Therapy as "a discipline combining music with professional capabilities of a therapist to treat, rehabilitate, and improve the emotional, social, spiritual, cognitive, physical, and psychological deficiencies of patients."

How does music achieve this? Apparently, by a number of ways. Scientists believe that listening to music stimulates the release of natural chemicals in our brains called endorphins, causing the "high" feelings as they block pain signals from the nervous system. Also, endorphins are believed to boost the immune system and reduce both stress and pain.

Music reduces stress because, in addition to lowering heart rate, skin temperature, and muscle activity, it facilitates the identification of feelings associated with stress and changes them in positive thoughts and emotions.

For people with physical disabilities, music can be utilized as motivation for movements or structure exercises. Background music enhances physical exercise, develops and maintains joint and muscle function, and increases muscle strength. Those with speech problems, on the other hand, can use music or singing to improve breathing control, articulation, pronunciation, and rate of speech.

Studies also reveal that listening to music for hours helps the patients heal faster. It distracts them from pain and worry, improves their appetite and sleep, and helps them cope with their illnesses. This is believed to be beneficial for patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiation therapy, suffering from nausea and vomiting from medication. It may not be the cure, but the peace of mind and relaxation music brings to both the cancer patients and the families can already make a major difference.

Music can also help lessen labor pains and make moms recover faster from childbirth. The British Journal of Surgery even published studies on the how music helped surgeons carry out procedures faster and more accurately in the operating room. It also helped patients relax prior and after the surgery.

Music can really do wonders for the mind, the heart, the soul, and the body. So go ahead and heal yourself with music.