Debasish Mridha once said, “Music can heal the wounds that medicine cannot touch”.
Music is the combination of sounds that is pleasant to hear. It can help to lift mood, alleviate anxiety and facilitate emotional expression. Healing with sounds was widely practiced in ancient Greece to cure mental disorders.
Throughout history, music has been used to boost morale and improve people’s productivity. Many studies have revealed that people undergoing rehabilitation after a stroke are more relaxed after listening to music for about an hour.
Music fires the release of some chemical substances like dopamine which helps in brain function. For example, in Parkinson’s disease, there is a decrease in the level of dopamine and serotonin and listening to music can help trigger the release of these chemicals thus improving the condition.
It has also been discovered by scientists that music can improve breath rate, heart rate and blood pressure but this depends on the choice of music.
Specially trained music therapists have testified that the use of music aids the pain relief better than the use of medication alone. Music can be helpful and sometimes it is the only medicine that the heart and soul needs.
Health Benefits of Music
1. Listening to good music helps to improve mood and increases one’s productivity.
2. Learning to play musical instruments enhances reasoning ability
3. Music helps to relieve stress and anxiety.
4. Music helps to stimulate memories especially in people with dementia.
5. Music helps to reduce depression.
6. It helps to reduce blood pressure
7. Playing relaxing music before sleep helps you sleep better
8. Music helps to learn and recall information better
9. Listening to the music you love helps to reduce pain
10. Singing helps to lower stress, boost immunity and lung function.
In conclusion, your body is like a piano and happiness is like music. It is needful to have the instrument in good order.
Gbenga Ogunbayode is currently a medical student of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ogun State, Nigeria. He has earned a certificate of achievement for COVID-19 : Psychological First Aid in Africa from Public Health England and London school of hygiene and tropical medicine. He is a reader, aspiring researcher, lover of music and enthusiastic about knowing more.
