Music has long been used for religious, recreational, and
marketing purposes. Now, the medical industry is investigating
music’s powers over the mind and body as hospitals experiment with
it in therapy programs. Cary Stemle of
The Louisville Eccentric Observer writes
of New York’s Sloan-Kettering Hospital, where patients often are
serenaded by visiting Juilliard students and have access to a
listening library. When Robert Lerman, a pathologist from Kentucky,
received cancer treatments at Sloan-Kettering his wife took note of
its musical approach. Though Robert did not survive, his wife was
inspired to instigate a similar program at the Norton Audubon
Hospital where he had worked. Now the Kentucky hospital has its own
music library and full-time music therapist who carts instruments
from room to room, playing songs for each patient and unearthing
strong emotional responses. Encouraged by Norton Audubon’s shorter
patient stays and lowered costs, other hospitals in the area are
starting up their own music therapy programs.
Researchers have been tracking music’s healing powers and coming
up with some interesting findings. Pallab Ghosh reports for
BBC News that a study by the Chelsea and
Westminster Hospital in London showed that patients recovered
faster and with fewer drugs when live music was a part of their
medical regimen. ‘The physiological benefits have been measured.
Music reduces blood pressure, the heart rate, and hormones related
to stress,’ explained Dr. Rosalia Staricoff, administrator of the
study.
In the July/August issue of
Science & Theology News (article not
available online), Heather Wax describes rhythm’s ability to affect
brainwaves. Studies show that brain waves adjust to match tempo
when participants listen to rhythms attentively, enabling music to
regulate mental states much like medications do. An experiment at
the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston found that
regular sessions of rhythmic light and sound stimulation increased
focus and IQ scores among boys with Attention Deficit Disorder and
reduced behavioral problems. A University of Washington study
showed that similar exposure increased the brain’s blood flow and
improved cognitive functioning in the elderly. Of course, many of
us already use beats to alter our moods: A dose of techno can
energize when deadlines loom and jazz can keep insanity at bay in
the car with kids. The day may come, though, when we think of music
as another drug — administered aurally.
Go There>>
Therapy of Note: A spoonful of music helps the
medicine go down, so to speak
Go There Too>>
Music ‘Aids the Healing Process’
Related Links:
Music Therapy May Help Ease Pain
American
Music Therapy Association
Related Links From the Utne Archive:
Oruj Guvenc
Listening
Cure
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