Can Music Really be Used as Medicine?

Can Music Really be Used as Medicine?

It is very blatant to see that music is a powerful recreational force that has united people for centuries. No matter where you are in the world music can be found, whether it’s the newest pop hit on the radio or a tribal song created with two hands and a drum. In other words, music is something that lives and breathes in our culture. What many do not realize is that we should be taking advantage of all the wonderful things music can provide for us. The capability of music to treat one another has been used throughout time in many different parts of the world (Brooks). This is even the case in modern times. Music today is actually being more commonly used to treat people with conditions ranging from severe pain to Autism, and is being labeled as music therapy. “Music therapy is an interpersonal process in which the therapist uses music and all of its facets-physical, emotional, mental, social, aesthetic, and spiritual-to help clients to improve or maintain their health”(temple.edu). “Some say music acts as a pharmaceutical without side effects” (Brooks), and others believe that it is “merely just a distraction technique” (Berlinger). Despite its skeptics, it is clear that music can be used for much more than entertainment; it can help people physically, mentally, and even financially.

The strength of music has many physical benefits for the human body. One of these would include, lowering blood pressure. It has been proven that what affects the blood pressure is the actual tempo of the music, listening to a faster pace song increases blood pressure, whereas a slower song can lower blood pressure (Medscape.org). A study conducted in Italy showed that people who listened to classical, Celtic, or...

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...Music therapy itself may not make a large amount of difference in some cases but when you are dealing with thousands of dollars in medical expenses every penny counts.

It is needless to say that music can provide much more than entertainment. It is something that can help our mind, body, and even wallets. Music is a force that can bring people together and help people through tough times. It’s easy to understand why some would never consider such an alternative, because in modern times it seems like everyone needs a quick and concrete solution to whatever they are dealing with, in other words if a pill can fix it, they want it. Never really giving a thought to any sort of non-medicinal solution. If people were to consider all their options, it would be interesting to see who sided with medical treatments and who leaned toward non-medical treatments when appropriate.