Music Therapy Helps Patients With Recovery

Many people have been seeking relief for various ailments and conditions using music therapy. Professionals are starting to us different disciplines of music therapy often to help their patients and clients. It is now common for doctors, social therapists, psychologists, and even social workers to use this new age therapy.

Studies have theorized that in when music therapy is combined with other disciplines of therapy improvements in patient conditions happen more rapidly. It appears music influences different parts of the brain. It can be extremely powerful for stirring emotions and social interactions. Have you ever noticed how a piece of classical music can make you cry? Do you wonder why music is always played at social gatherings and parties? These are just common instances to show how strong music's influence on us can be. To a patient say suffering from stroke, music opens them up emotionally and helps to motivate them. Stroke victims are often depressed and unmotivated to work on their conditions. Music can get them out of their negative mood.

A patient's condition will often dictate the type of musical therapy they are involved with. Some might learn an instrument to receive positive benefits from the therapy. Others might just have specific music playing lightly in the background while they work on a physical therapy or other motor skill oriented therapy. Stroke patients who have lost the capacity to speak can be taught to speak again using a singing speech therapy. So the method of music therapy used is influenced by each patient's personal need.

Music is also influential on physical movement. The whole idea of dancing shows how strong this influence can be. This tie between emotion and physical influence is being used with great result while working with patients recovering for lost of motor skills. While working with a patient on a treadmill, music is played and stroke patients prove to be more motivated to move. Experiments have been done using regular treatment with no music and then using the same treatment with music. When the music was used, there was more improvement. Part of this improvement is believed to have happened because the music was synced "in time" to the patient's footfalls. The patients stayed in time to the rhythmic sounds and showed vast improvements in all aspects of their recovery. Traditional therapy by itself did not show the same level of improvement.

While music as therapy has shown to be effective in some cases, there is still much research to be done with it. Each patient has specific physical and previous psychological conditions that affect the result this therapy can have on their recovery. The timetable in which music therapy is used towards the start of the ailment can play in the therapy's effectiveness. For example if a person was socially more awkward before treatment began, that patient would see more positive results with the addition of music. Patients who had music therapy started immediately after injury or stroke also saw greater result. Therefore, further study is needed to pinpoint how effective musical therapy is.

Going forward music as therapy is a good tool. While illnesses and disabilities cannot be cured by it, for those willing to embrace its power, there can be benefit. It is frequently being used in recovery centers, hospitals, and retirement establishments. Children have seen benefit when music is used to improve social, motor, and relaxation skills. Music therapy is proving another important element in helping people cope with life.