The history of modern music therapy has its roots in a very curious place: the military hospitals of the Second World War. Music was used in these hospitals to help soldiers returning from war recover, especially aimed at patients with mental and emotional disorders.
Music therapy is not a new technique. Quite the opposite. It has generated fascination for a long time, but only since the 20th century has it been investigated for its therapeutic potential.
There are several benefits that can be provided by music therapy. Here we list the main scientifically proven ones.
Heart diseases: According to a review published by the Cochrane Library, the simple act of listening to music can improve heart and respiratory rates, as well as blood pressure in patients with Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). More studies are still needed to prove the real efficiency and applicability of music therapy for patients with CAD, but research indicates that music helps reduce blood pressure, improves heart rate, and reduces stress levels.
Neurological disorders: Although music therapy has already been used persistently to treat various psychological problems, it was only in the 1980s that empirical research began to be carried out. Since then, several studies in the area have been developed, taking into account different pathologies. To date, music therapy has been shown to be most effective in treating negative symptoms such as anxiety and isolation.
Stroke: Music acts on several regions in the brain, which is why it is so effective in treating stroke victims. This happens because music is capable of awakening emotions and stimulating social interactions, helping the patient’s recovery.
Dementia: It is precisely because it activates so many areas of the brain and in such an intense way that music serves as a therapeutic way to treat symptoms such as dementia, so common in diseases such as Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. When listening to music, the patient activates several neuronal patterns (synapses) that have not been stimulated for a long time, causing the person suffering from dementia to “wake up” in a way.
Amnesia: Some symptoms of amnesia were alleviated through various interactions with music, whether when the patient plays an instrument or when he is passive, just listening to a song.
Aphasia: There is a technique used by music therapists and speech therapists called Melodic Intonation Therapy, which serves to help people with communication disorders caused by damage to the left hemisphere of the brain. The technique seeks to involve singing skills, stimulating undamaged regions of the right hemisphere to “learn” to speak. In this technique, common phrases are transformed into melodic phrases. At first, the patient speaks almost like singing and gradually relearns the typical intonation and rhythmic patterns common to everyday speech.
Autism: Autism is a disorder that causes problems in language development, communication processes, interaction, and social behaviour. Children with autism can benefit greatly from music therapy, as the use of instruments can serve as an important tool to encourage communication and self-expression.
Music therapy stimulates creative potential and communicative capacity, mobilizing psychological, biological, and cultural aspects, which are its health benefits.
Article submitted by the HPA Group
