According to Deborah Bradway, music has healing power over the body, a language that possesses an inherent nature to make us feel better. There is something about the healing energy of the music that soothes our soul and in one way or another; we know this because we have felt it. Music’s healing power is undeniably true.
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Let’s talk about the healing powers of music.
Do you remember having a bad day but noticing your feet dance easily with the beat when your favorite jam comes up on the radio? Or that time when you felt excited for the day but suddenly feel downcast when your heartbreak song played somewhere?
This is how strong it is, though we may not be able to realize it immediately
Music & Healing
Understanding The Treatment Process
Also known as sound therapy, it involves various psychological approaches such as psychodynamic, behavioral, and humanistic to invoke positive responses in many patients. “The formal definition of music therapy is as a professional healthcare discipline that uses harmony and melody-based experiences to target treatment goals in educational and healthcare settings,'” according to Kimberly Sena Moore, a board-certified therapist.
What are the Interventions of Music Therapy?
It works through various platforms. The first concerns a song’s lyrics. A patient and a specialist read through the lyrics of a song. Afterward, this patient is encouraged to give insight as to how he felt about those words. This process is a springboard for further discussion as to how this patient perceives life in general and goes through its daily struggles.
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Aside from just looking at the lyrics or writing songs, the patient can be made to listen to songs. Sometimes, the therapist can choose a piece that lacks words and only focus on the melody or the beat. By doing this, the therapist is allowing melody alone to influence the patient’s mood, lower blood pressure, and improve pain perception for cancer patients receiving chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or any pain medication. Accordingly, it does its job by calming the soul, and moods, and being able to relax. thereby ushering the patient to a tranquil atmosphere.
Finally, both patient and music therapists work to make the piece themselves (sometimes even with musical instruments). Patients experience a feeling of emotional liberation and heightened ability to socialize when they express themselves by bringing music to others through singing or playing instruments. Some patients are encouraged to write songs to take it a step further. It is a compelling process of reaffirmation of the patient’s self-worth, giving him a sense of control, purpose, and fulfillment.
“Actually I use a number of things to cope with stress. I have been running to music for 30 years and treasure it as a stress-reducing gift,” says Suzanne B. Phillips, Psy.D, ABPP.
The therapeutic effect of live music is a universal language that has not only been told by experience. It is something that is scientifically proven through evidence. In one study, when patients were made to listen to favorite tunes, they have shown higher levels of salivary immunoglobulin A, a crucial antibody that helps the body fight cancer.
In addition to the healing power of music, levels of cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone, also decreased.
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help enhance the mental functions of patients with cognitive diseases
In other cases, it has been found to help enhance the mental functions of patients with cognitive diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and Dementia. It aids in the reduction of feelings of aggression and agitation among patients, thereby improving their cooperation with regular daily tasks.
Dr. Joke Bradt Ph.D., MT-BC, a music therapist, said about a study she and her team conducted pertaining to the therapy, “This review shows encouraging results for the effects of music therapy in stroke patients. As most of the studies we looked at used rhythm-based methods, we suggest that rhythm may be a primary factor in music therapy approaches to treating stroke.”
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Therapy Insights And Takeaways
One of the healing power of music is it is very relatable, according to music therapists. It is close to our hearts because it accompanies us through every stage of life. From the young kids that we once were up to the grownups that we are now, we can always think of a song that captures our feelings and thoughts. That is how influential it can be in influencing our lives, and this is the exact reason why it works as therapy. It pulls us back to what is familiar, comfortable, real, and happy.
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