Music therapy — Interlude to healing
Most of us resort to our playlists to elevate our moods from the murkiness especially during the times difficult to internalize. For me, it is a non-negotiable vitamin for survival for emotional balance. The sound of rain drops by the silhouette heals, sound of a giggling baby brings joy, a note from a tanpura calms, the sound of favorite melody lightens strain of travel, a lullaby to sleep. Music has its own special powers over our brains — stir an emotion, facilitate expression, and lower stress. New-born babies have an innate ability to sense and respond to sounds which supports the idea of influence of music over our biology. I was surprised to learn that music therapy begins in the womb. A full term grown infant recognizes mothers’ voice at birth. The first drum sound he/she hears is the heartbeat of the mom!
Now, let’s think about using sound (music) as an intervention, to improve emotional and physical health..
The art of music therapy is known to be in practice since ancient times in Greece to cure mental disorders, boost confidence in military troops, help workers work more efficiently and faster and to eliminate the evil spirits by chanting. But substantial amount of research is being done recently as to how music can boost immune functions, improving health of premature and NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) babies, lowering stress and anxiety levels and pain in patients, improving memory and lowering blood pressure and risk of stroke. Music therapy has shown to be incredibly beneficial for NICU babies in reducing stress and the length of NICU periods. It may also be adapted to increase vital signs, coordinate sucking and feeding behaviors, and weight gain in babies.
How does it work?
Music therapy sessions follow evidence-based use of sounds by a certified professional to address specific physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of individuals (after assessing the needs of each beneficiary), by creating, singing, moving to, and/or listening to music. Through these involvements, clients’ abilities are strengthened creating avenues for communication for those who find it difficult to express themselves in words. But it is exactly this heterogeneity in methods and applications that holds music therapy from making significant inroads into the medical field since it can be very diverse from prescribing playlists to more interactive treatment like a vocal empowerment session which combining classical theories of countertransference, intersubjectivity, and object relations with breath work and vocal improvisation etc.
Methods
· Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music (GIM) — using classical music and imagery to help improve psychological and physiological health in adults.
· Nordoff-Robbins method — using familiar music to create music together or do a performance. Best used in treating children with developmental delays, learning difficulties, autism spectrum disorder, dementia etc.
· Tuning fork therapy — applying specific vibrations using calibrated tuning forks in different parts of the body. It seems to work similar to acupuncture, using sound frequencies for point stimulation.
· Brainwave (a) Binaural beats method — using pulsing sound to promote brain waves to align to the frequency of the beat. It stimulates the brain into a specific state thereby inducing focus, relaxation, and sleep.
NICU babies benefit from music therapy around the gestational stage or within the development stage, they would have been in, if they weren’t born early. It’s a combination of humming and singing depending on which stage the baby is currently at, to singing at the appropriate time. Therapists report that their vitals have improved positively during this time. This is a great news for both the babies and the parents at NICU not only because they could come home earlier than expected but also in terms of reducing their mental agony when their babies are at such a critical stage.
Stroke causes aphasia (a sudden consequence of stroke that robs the ability to communicate verbally or non-verbally) especially in cases of left hemisphere stroke since left brain is mainly responsible for processing and language. While singing uses the entire brain, he who cannot speak may be able to tap into other parts of their brain to sing instead. It does not necessarily mean teaching them to play an instrument but using musical interventions for specific goals involving motor, speech, or cognitive functioning. This is because there is a strong connection between music and movement. Playing music can engage the part of the brain responsible for movement.
Cancer patients also enjoy using music as an aid to get through the harrowing chemotherapy and radiation, and the following anxiety and fear of relapse. The sound of their favorite tune comes as a treat to them during such testing times. Just like several stigmas strewn around mental health, music therapy stays less appreciated and not fully indulged.
Music therapy isn’t a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. It is always necessary to seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider regarding a medical condition. But this is becoming a great choice for those considering a non-traditional approach to heal psychological disorders. It involves cost and requires experienced therapists to practice this method more carefully. But I look forward to seeing more hospitals practicing music as a must medicine :)
