Music is the only medicine your heart and soul need. Whether you are from Bangalore or from New York, we are sure you love humming to the latest love songs!
Can you think of at least one song that, when you heard, triggered an intense emotional response? It could be a song that you danced to on prom night or a song that reminds you of a stressful time in your life.
Given the deep connection we have with music, it is unsurprising that numerous studies have shown how it can benefit our mental health. A study found that listening to music increases the amount of dopamine produced in the brain--a chemical responsible for improving your mood--making it a feasible treatment for depression.
Increasingly, researchers are finding that the health benefits of music may go beyond mental health, and as a result, some health experts are calling for music therapy to be more widely incorporated into health care settings.
We will take a closer look at some of the potential health benefits of music and look at whether, for some conditions, music could be used to improve – or even replace – current treatment strategies.
Music is Therapy. Music moves people. It connects people in ways that no other medium can. It pulls heartstrings. It acts as medicine. ~ Macklemore
1) Reduces Pain & Anxiety
By analyzing more than 7,000 patients who received surgery, researchers found those who were played music after their procedure reported feeling less pain and anxiety than those who did not listen to music, and they were also less likely to need pain medication. This effect was even stronger for patients who got to choose the music they listened to!
2) Effective Stress Reliever
When feeling stressed, you may find yourself listening to your favorite music, which makes you feel much better!
A study suggests that infants remained calmer for longer when they were played music rather than spoken to–even when speech involved baby talk.
Music’s effect on heart rate and its potential as a stress reliever has led a number of researchers to believe music may also be effective for treating heart conditions.
3) Music & Memory
Certain songs have the ability to remind us of certain periods or events in our lives–some make us smile, and some we would rather forget.
Evidence from studies has led researchers to suggest that music may help memory recall for people with cognitive disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease or even early-stage dementia.
4) Helps Recover from Brain Injuries or Seizures
Research indicates that patients who listened to music for around 2 hours daily had better verbal memory and attention and a more positive mood than those who listened to an audiobook or nothing at all.
Furthermore, music might as well aid speech recovery following stroke. It has also been suggested that music may help treat epilepsy–a brain disorder characterized by the occurrence of seizures.
Based on the numerous health benefits provided by music, experts are calling for greater utilization of music therapy within health care settings.
There certainly is evidence that we have much more than just an emotional connection with music. So the next time you put on your favorite track, have a little dance around safe in the knowledge that you are likely to be reaping some health benefits.
Check out our post on The Elixir for a healthy life here
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