Thanks for visiting thecreativeclinician.com topics and conversations. Here I want to address music therapy issues and concepts as they relate to education, health and wellness.
For this weeks blog post I want to introduce an information piece that I have used for years and just last night, at my (Toledo, OH) Flower Hospital Rehab World Stroke Day event where I represented the music therapy service. At “my booth,” I had a tri-fold with large (rehab) relevant statements about the benefits of music therapy such as pain and anxiety management, using music to support physical therapy movement regimens, etc. And on my table I had my research info for the attendees to take. Again, I have used this info for most populations I have worked with over the years. This is an introduction… part I.
RELATED MUSIC RESEARCH AREAS
Music has been clinically proven to:
- PROVIDE A POSITIVE DIVERSION FROM NEGATIVE EMOTIONS – NOT COMPATABLE WITH WORRY
- ALLOW THE MIND AND BODY TO RELAX AND ACT AS A NON-ANALGESIC SLEEP AID (with no side effects)
- INCREASE THE POSITIVE EFFECTS OF MEDICATIONS
- DECREASE THE PERCEPTION OF PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL PAIN
- DECREASE BLOOD PRESSURE, HEART RATE AND RESPIRATION RATE WHILE INCREASING OXYGEN TO THE BLOOD
- DECREASE STRESS LEVELS (increasing endorphin levels, our body’s natural opiates)
- BOOST OUR IMMUNE SYSTEM – AFTER A 30 MIN MUSIC EXPERIENCE ENZYMES IN OUR SALIVA, THAT AID IN DIGESTION (thus boosting our immune system), ARE PRODUCED, NAMELY IMMUNOGLOBULIN A (IgA); ALSO PRODUCED, INTERLEUKIN 1 WHICH IS A PROTEIN THAT ALSO AIDS IN FORTIFYING IMMUNE RESPONSE
- AID IN TISSUE REGENERATION (repair)
- AID IN SURGERY SETTINGS BY: DECREASING THE AMOUNT OF ANESTHESIA NEEDED; DECREASING BLEEDING AND SPEEDING UP RECOVERY TIME
- PROVIDE REALITY ORIENTATION AND OFFER A POSITIVE DIVERSION FOR THOSE EXPERIENCING HALLUCINATIONS OR DELUSIONS
- BE AN EFFECTIVE “HELPER” DURING EXERCISE/FITNESS TIMES BY ACTING AS A MOTIVATOR, POSITIVE DIVERSION FROM EXERTION, PACE SETTER, ETC.
- REDUCE THE CONDITIONED SIDE EFFECTS OF CHEMOTHERAPY, i.e., NAUSEA AND VOMITING
- ACT AS AN EMOTIONAL STIMULUS, ELICITING INSTANT FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS (primary cognitive experience)
- INCREASE COGNITIVE (brain) AND PHYSICAL ENERGY AND DECREASE FATIGUE
***The above mentioned benefits of music are more readily attainable when
we utilize music in a purposeful manner, i.e., preferred music
used often with no or minimal distractions.
In upcoming posts I will explain the research items listed.
My prescription this week??? Play or listen to your favorite music and see which of the research areas listed you experience!