Have you ever driven home from work, and a certain song on the radio perks your interest? You listen to it for a while, and it seems as though they wrote that song just for you. Maybe it's been a hard day, but for some reason it seems to hit the spot, filling a void you didn't know was there before.
When most of us think of health, often times prescription drugs or surgical procedures come to mind. However, a recent study found in The Lancet, explains music can and should be used for both physical and psychological recovery. Not only has music been shown to help patients physically recover faster to surgical operations and calm the immune system, but it also has been shown to make the recovery process less psychologically stressful.
So what do you think? Can just any old tune get those healthy bodies and brains moving?
As it turns out, the type of music you listen to can also have an impact on your health. It shouldn't be too much of a surprise that music with angry lyrics or sad musical overtones can lower the level of healthy relaxing endorphins in your brain. Also, a study suggests long periods of angry or sad music can cause unnecessary strain to muscles in your heart by increasing your heart rate. In addition, just as the stress from stage fright can get your stomach doing somersaults, angry or sad music can cause the same physical reaction.
Meanwhile, happy or calming music acts as a natural morphine in your body, lowering levels of inflammation. To quote Bob Marley, “One good thing about music, is when it hits you, you feel no pain.” Now there is medical truth to that statement. According to one study, in pre-operation settings calming music had a more significant affect on lowering anxiety than a dose of typically prescribed midozolam (p < 0.001). So the next time you listen through your playlist, pay attention to how your body feels.
As a result, music therapy is growing as a new field of health care. Participating in music therapy often asks clients to analyze musical tones, lyrics or even write their own music. Organizations that are currently using music therapy as a form of treatment include hospitals, cancer centers, public school systems and psychological services. The use of music in health care shouldn't be surprising, since the influence of different wave lengths of sound have long shown to have significant affects on the brain.
In our world today we are surrounded by audio media, most of it out of our control. But here are some ideas for ways you can better utilize this healthy, low-cost medicine:
- Start humming. Or if you're more musically inclined, sing!
- Turn it down a notch. Listening to any music at high volumes is bad for your hearing.
- Fill up your smartphone. That way you are never far away from good music.
- Learn an instrument. Or have someone teach you how to beatbox.
I hope that by now you've pulled up some music, have your foot tapping and ready to utilize those recuperating sounds of health.
