So, remember David (as in King) playing for Saul to assuage his manic ways? Well, it turns out that there’s a lot of truth in that concept. Believe it or not, there are some 5000 music therapists (those are certified, guys and gals) in the US alone.
Congressperson Gabrielle Giffords swears that singing therapy restored her ability to speak, after she was shot in the head three years ago. The military has had a program for nigh 80 years now to do this sort of thing. (They have a “National Initiative for Arts and health in the Military”, which was under the direction of Dr. M. Sickel. They train troops to play a musical instrument, which is supposed to augment the brain’s healing process.)
It turns out that there are measurably better results obtained between playing music and listening to music. Playing has that level of engagement that makes the difference and helps the brain’s ability to heal.
That doesn’t mean the military doesn’t bring in musicians or computer-generated music to treat PTSD and TBI (post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury) patients, either. Because learning, creating, and performing music are thought to recruit the uninjured portions of the brain to take over some functions, and also to help the traumatized portions heal.
The components of music- melody, rhythm, harmony, and pitch- all excite different portions of the brain. These same regions are associated with movement, speech, and social interaction. So, if music finds an alternative pathway to reach the damaged brain, that pathway can be used to help the patient with his/her own brain trauma or disorder.
These are some of the things that music creation or listening can do for us…
- Pain management
- Mood alteration
- Mobility augmentation (primarily for Parkinson’s patients)
- Blood pressure management
- Depression and anxiety alleviation
- Improved concentration and creativity
It’s that last reason that our own laboratories are fully equipped with music systems. Maybe, it’s time to consider the introduction of music into our hospital rooms.
