Music as therapy: an alternative pathway to healing and recovery  

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From anecdotal reports to scientific research, plenty of sources have been documenting and weighing in on the health benefits of music. Even without all the available information on the topic, personal experiences are proof enough that music can be a great healer. People listen to music because it makes them feel a certain way. It serves as a pleasant pastime that soothes the mind, body and soul, stirring up intense feelings and emotions that we’re all familiar with, from joy and amusement to sadness and relaxation.  

However, music’s impact on listeners goes deeper than that – the tunes and sounds we listen to influence not only our mood but can also work wonders for our mental and physical health. It’s quite reassuring to know that we have such a powerful healing tool right at our fingertips. When the remedies and solutions offered by conventional medicine are ineffective or insufficient, one can always resort to music therapy as an alternative form of treatment for all types of ailments. 

How music therapy can help

Music therapy refers to the clinical use of musical elements or music in its various forms to help individuals achieve personal health goals. These therapy sessions, which are usually part of a broader treatment plan, can take place in different settings, including hospitals, nursing homes, mental health centres, schools, correction centres or any other type of institution or facility where individuals can benefit from this type of treatment.   

Trained medical professionals called music therapists walk patients through all the steps they have to follow, explaining to them what this form of therapy implies and creating personalised sessions tailored to each individual’s unique preferences and needs. Sometimes, they work in conjunction with other healthcare providers to develop a holistic treatment plan that combines different approaches.   

To understand how music therapy functions, we should start by going over the potential benefits it can provide. Different studies have demonstrated that music can indeed have various therapeutic effects and improve aspects related to mental, emotional, physical, social or cognitive wellness. 

Researchers have found that music can stimulate certain areas of the brain, leading to better learning and improving memory. Another study indicates that music has the ability to induce notable changes in the brain through the release of different neurochemicals with key roles in brain function such as dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin. This means music could be used successfully in treating mental illness. 

Scientific evidence also suggests that listening to music can have a positive effect on people suffering from anxiety or depression, helping them regulate their emotions and cope with the symptoms.  

In addition, research shows that music can also improve physical health, being able to lower blood pressure, promote muscle relaxation, improve fine motor skills, enhance exercise performance and even provide relief for chronic physical pain. 

Therefore, music therapy can be effective in the treatment of a wide variety of health issues, from anxiety and insomnia to substance disorders, learning disabilities, mood regulation and physical injuries. And one of the best things about it is that everyone, from children to adults, can take advantage of the healing power of music. 

Having the ability to aid with such a broad range of issues covering both mental and physical health, music therapy emerges as a multifaceted solution for enhancing overall wellness. As a result, many victims of medical negligence who have been harmed due to substandard medical care often resort to music therapy to recover from the mental and physical injuries and trauma they’ve experienced. 

Not sure what qualifies as medical negligence? If you suspect that a medical provider’s action or the treatments you have received have negatively impacted your health, you might be a victim of medical negligence, so it’s worth looking further into this matter. 

Different types of music therapy 

As mentioned, music therapy is not a one-size-fits-all. It comes in many different forms and can be tweaked and adapted to accommodate patients’ specific health requirements and needs. However, music therapy can be separated into two main categories, as follows: 

Active music therapy 

As the name implies, this form of music therapy requires patients to get actively involved with music, be it through playing an instrument, composing or singing. Therefore, active music therapy can be further broken down into several subcategories, such as:

• Compositional music therapy – patients engage in the act of creating music with assistance from their therapist 
• Improvisation music therapy – this is a more spontaneous approach in which patients are required to compose music on the spot
• Re-creative music therapy – patients have to re-create the music played by their therapist 

These sessions can benefit patients in several ways. They encourage them to use their creativity to gain a sense of fulfilment, boost their self-esteem, or process grief and trauma. It can also help them improve their motor skills, which can be extremely useful for patients struggling with developmental issues or dementia. 

Receptive music therapy

At the other end of the spectrum, we have receptive music therapy. This is a passive form of music therapy that implies listening to different types of music to elicit certain responses. We’ve already talked about how music can stimulate different areas of the brain and trigger different reactions in listeners. This type of therapy focuses on using these reactions to help patients achieve specific goals, whether it’s reducing pain, improving sleep quality, fighting stress, and so on. It usually involves song discussions, where the therapist plays a song, and then they talk about the lyrics and musical arrangement with the patients. 

Bottom line 

Although music therapy is not as popular as conventional therapies, its effectiveness and benefits cannot be denied, having been confirmed by countless studies and research in this area. So, if you or a loved one are looking for an alternative form of treatment to help you heal and recover from the health issues you’re dealing with, you might want to give music therapy a try. 

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