The Power of Healing through Music Therapy
Music therapy is a clinical practice that uses music to treat various physical, mental, and social issues. The practice is based on research and has been successfully applied in different medical institutions such as hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, schools, and community programs.
Historical Development
Since ancient times when it was thought to be endowed with magical properties; music as a healing agent has been practiced for centuries. It is in the 1950’s that music therapy became an official professional discipline. In this respect, the establishment of the National Association for Music Therapy (NAMT) in 1950 marked the beginning of structured music therapy program in America. Nowadays, it is internationally acknowledged as a field of its own merit.
How Music Therapy Works
Music therapy encompasses the use of music with clients in the form of listening to music, playing instruments, singing, writing songs, and using music imagery. Some of the interventions may include the following: It is important to note that clients’ needs are unique; hence, therapists have to devise unique treatment plans to suit the purpose of their clients. The primary mechanisms through which music therapy exerts its effects include:The primary mechanisms through which music therapy exerts its effects include:
1. Emotional Expression: Music can also be used as avenue for releasing emotion which will be very important for people with speaking difficulties.
2. Cognitive Stimulation: The auditory activity involved in listening or creating music helps the brain to sharpen certain processes like memory, attention and problem solving. It is of much use where the patient has neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease or stroke.
3. Physical Rehabilitation: Music includes rhythm that helps in motor control and especially in the musical tempo that supports the rehabilitation of patients with injuries or operations.
4. Stress Reduction: Music therapy helps decrease stress, anxiety, and depression as it affects the sound cardiovascular activities and hormonal secretion such as heart rate, blood pressure, and cortisol level.
Applications of Music Therapy
Music therapy is versatile and can be tailored to various populations and conditions:Music therapy is versatile and can be tailored to various populations and conditions:
Mental Health: People diagnosed with depression, anxiety, PTSD and other mental health illnesses benefit form music by letting their emotions out in safety and developing coping mechanisms.
Autism Spectrum Disorder: Music therapy can enhance interpersonal interaction, interpersonal relationships, and behavioral problems of persons with autism through one or more of any musically oriented tasks.
Pain Management: This therapy has been noted to lower the experience of pain and enhance the management of pain in patients with chronic pain or those who are in the surgical wards.
Palliative Care: In the case of patients who are under and receiving palliative treatments, music therapy may help to alleviate their suffering, enhance the quality of life of the patient, and lessen the patient’s emotional distress in the last stage of the terminal illness treatment.
Research and Evidence
It has been evidenced by various researches that music therapy is effective in the specified fields. There is evidence nowadays that patients can get better by listening and/or participating in music therapy in such characteristics as mood, cognition or physical movement. For example, a meta-analysis described in the Journal of Music Therapy showed that music therapy involved in global assessment scale is helpful for patients undergoing treatment for chronic diseases and positively influences their mood and quality of life.
Good 👍 Usefull
ReplyDelete