Music Can Be Therapeutic

For centuries, people have been turning to the power of music to influence the body. These theories have now evolved and are being applied in a field known as "music therapy." This means that music is being used to aid in stimulating, motivating, rehabilitating and curing people.

Music therapy may be used for treating physical, emotional, psychological, mental or social ailments. This means that music can be used to deal with those who suffer from or are recovering from substance abuse, physical handicaps, heart disease, stroke, ageing, interpersonal issues, motor skill deficiency and communication skill deficiency. It can also help improve one's self-esteem and one's motivation to participate in rehabilitation therapy. The support of physical exercise, the reduction of stress and the lessening of fatigue are also several known effects of music therapy. Mood and social interaction are seen to be improved by this type of therapy as well.

There are different methods to facilitate a music therapy session. A patient may simply be made to listen to a certain type of music. The therapist uses this as a medium for connecting to the patient, who is then urged to talk about the feelings and sentiments that the song has evoked. A patient may also improvise music. This means writing new lines of music, which are usually based on the subjects that have been tackled during the session. Such subjects include memories, events and emotions, among others. The therapist may also work with his or her patient in order to compose music. In this case, the therapist does much of the technical work if the patient does not know about music theory. On the other hand, the therapist may teach his patient the technicalities of playing an instrument or of singing in order to recreate a certain piece of music.

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