Music is one of the few activities that involves using the whole brain. It is
intrinsic to all cultures and can have surprising benefits not only for learning
language, improving memory and focusing attention, but also for physical
coordination and development.
Of course, music can be distracting if
it's too loud or too jarring, or if it competes for our attention with what
we're trying to do. But for the most part, exposure to many kinds of music has
beneficial effects:
1- Effective therapy for pain
Overall, music
does have positive effects on pain management. Music can help reduce both the
sensation and distress of both chronic pain and postoperative
pain.
Listening to music can reduce chronic pain from a range of painful
conditions, including osteoarthritis, disc problems and rheumatoid arthritis, by
up to 21% and depression by up to 25%, according to a paper in the latest
UK-based Journal of Advanced Nursing.
Music therapy is increasingly used
in hospitals to reduce the need for medication during childbirth, to decrease
postoperative pain and complement the use of anesthesia during
surgery.
There are several theories about how music positively affects
perceived pain:
- Music serves as a distractor
- Music may give the
patient a sense of control
- Music causes the body to release endorphins to
counteract pain
- Slow music relaxes person by slowing their breathing and
heartbeat
2- Reducing blood pressure
By playing recordings of relaxing
music every morning and evening, people with high blood pressure can train
themselves to lower their blood pressure - and keep it low. According to
research reported at the American Society of Hypertension meeting in New
Orleans, listening to just 30 minutes of classical, Celtic or raga music every
day may significantly reduce high blood pressure.
3- Medicine for the
heart
Music is good for your heart. Research shows that it is musical tempo,
rather than style. Italian and British researchers32 recruited young men and
women, half of whom were trained musicians. The participants slipped on head
phones and listened to six styles of music, including rap and classical pieces,
with random two-minute pauses. As the participants kicked back and listened, the
researchers monitored their breathing, heart rates and blood pressure. The
participants had faster heart and breathing rates when they listened to lively
music. When the musical slowed, so did their heart and breathing rates. Some
results were surprising. During the musical pauses, heart and breathing rates
normalized or reached more optimal levels. Whether or not a person liked the
style of music did not matter. The tempo, or pace, of the music had the greatest
effect on relaxation.
4- Speeds Post-Stroke Recovery
A daily dose of
one's favorite pop melodies, classical music or jazz can speed recovery from
debilitating strokes, according to the latest research. When stroke patients in
Finland listened to music for a couple of hours each day, verbal memory and
attention span improved significantly compared to patients who received no
musical stimulation, or who listened only to stories read out loud, the study
reports.
5- Chronic headaches & migraine remedy
Music can help
migraine and chronic headache sufferers reduce the intensity, frequency, and
duration of the headaches.
6- Music boosts immunity
Music can boost
the immune function. Scientists explain that a particular type of music can
create a positive and profound emotional experience, which leads to secretion of
immune-boosting hormones. This helps contribute to a reduction in the factors
responsible for illness. Listening to music or singing can also decrease levels
of stress-related hormone cortisol. Higher levels of cortisol can lead to a
decreased immune response.
7- Music enhances intelligence, learning
and IQ
The idea that music makes you smarter received considerable attention
from scientists and the media. Listening to music or playing an instrument can
actually make you learn better. And research confirms this.
8- Music
improves memory performance
The power of music to affect memory is quite
intriguing. Mozart's music and baroque music, with a 60 beats per minute beat
pattern, activates the left and right brain. The simultaneous left and right
brain action maximizes learning and retention of information. The information
being studied activates the left brain while the music activates the right
brain. Also, activities which engage both sides of the brain at the same time,
such as playing an instrument or singing, cause the brain to be more capable of
processing information.
9- Music improves concentration and
attention
Easy listening music or relaxing classics improves the duration and
intensity of concentration in all age groups and ability levels. It's not clear
what type of music is better, or what kind of musical structure is necessary to
help, but many studies have shown significant effects.
10- Music
improves body movement and coordination
Music reduces muscle tension and
improves body movement and coordination. Music may play an important role in
developing, maintaining and restoring physical functioning in the rehabilitation
of persons with movement disorders.
