The Importance Of Music Therapy

1.Introduction

Music is not only beneficial for our well being but it plays an important role in healing our bodies physically. The ancient Chinese, Greeks, Egyptians and Indians practiced music along with medicine to cure the sick. Research done by Scientists has explained the expansion and effectiveness of Music Therapy and the role it plays in the recovery of many diseases ranging from cardiovascular diseases, strokes, physical pain, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, anxiety, dyslexia and other brain impairments and improving development in premature infants. Music therapy if used correctly can act on the autonomic nervous system and can therefore be used for therapeutic methods in medicine.

The first lullaby or rhyme a foetus hears while floating in the womb is a mother’s heartbeat. Music therapy is a new and effective way that is used to develop premature infants in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU). Premature Infants are infants born before the full gestation period of 40 weeks. An infant is characterized as preterm if the gestation period is 37 weeks and earlier. Premature Infants do not have enough time to fully develop in the womb causing numerous temporary or permanent health complications after birth. The most common health implications are breathing problems, cardiovascular difficulties, neural implications, underweight and problematic feeding. Extensive research has been done and results show that Music therapy works closely on the autonomic nervous system and reduces heart rate, anxiety and stress levels and improves sucking rates and significantly improves weight gain in these premature infants. Music therapy stimulates the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems and therefore explains the e...

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...apy has been proved to be beneficially but a limitation is that music therapy is not implemented all over the world. Music therapy would be wholesome for third world countries because of the efficacy and it is cost effective.

Music therapy is not only beneficial to an infant at the most critical period of growth it also promotes and enhances parent child bonding and facilitates communication and social development, which is crucial for infant development.

More research needs to be done but the evidence from this project could be used as a small platform for future research on music therapy and neonatology.

Results from several studies conclude that music therapy aids physiological and behavioral parameters, which concludes the hypothesis, as valid The Use of Music Therapy on premature infants in Neonatal Intensive Care Units is beneficial to their development.