Music does more than sooth the wild beast!

If you experience relaxation when listening or performing classical music, there might be more to it than just a pleasant experience. Dr Susan M. Lark, MD, a specialist in preventive and clinical medicine, states that studies show that music causes definite physical effects in the body, processes which may actually reduce stress, heal illness and increase our wellness. 

According to an article by Dr Lark, who serves on the clinical faculty of Stanford University Medical School and has written 9 books about wellness, here are some of the positive effects listening or playing music can have on us:

• It can boost immune function, helping the body to fight illness. Studies at Michigan State University revealed that listening to music for as short a period as 15 minutes, increases serum levels of proteins called 'interleukins' which protect against disease.
  
  
• It can reduce muscle tension, improve physical coordination and even help people to learn new physical skills. For example, music is widely used in physical and neurological rehab programs to help disabled patients 'repattern' repetitive movements after accidents. (Music helps us get through an intense exercise session as well!)
  
  
• It can increase the release of key brain chemicals called 'endorphins', the body's natural pain relievers. A 1996 study of pregnant women in labor found that those who listened to music during childbirth required less pain medication. Another study of surgical patients found that those who listened to classical music prior to their operations suffered fewer complications and recovered more quickly.
  
  
• It can slow and equalize brain waves, increasing relaxation, alertness and creativity - and it can be used for periods of intense activity as well as for rest and meditation. One study revealed that surgeons who listened to classical music during surgery tended to perform surgery more skillfully while being less stressed. I know that when I'm trying to do a difficult task on the computer, listening to music seems to help me think more clearly.
  
  
• If you are having trouble concentrating on a project, listening to classical music for 15 minutes can help to increase mental focus revealed one study. On other hand, listening to jazz or New Age music can increase your creativity focus.
  
  
• Classical music can actually lower your pulse rate and blood pressure, research has shown, however excessive harsh noise can do the opposite! Listening (or singing or playing) classical music for 20 to 30 minutes is an effective and pleasant way to help reduce cardio-vascular stress factors.

Dr Lark recommends our making soothing music a therapeutic part of our daily lives. According to a wealth of research, doing this will not only increase our quality of life but might actually increase our lifespan as well.

Other articles about the Healing power of music:

Singing boosts your immune system:

Belt out a tune. In a study done by Robert Beck, PhD, a professor emeritus at the University of California, Irvine, levels of an infection-fighting antibody called IgA increased 240 percent in the saliva of choral members performing Beethoven's "Missa Solemnus" Sing along with the radio or in church or in the shower. Also try Karaoke to stay healthier!
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/41854830#/25

In pain? Try music plus guided imagery

Simply listening to music for 1 hour a day can ease your pain by 20%, Cleveland Clinic researchers recently found. It can even reduce the need for pain medication before and after surgery. Music seems to stimulate the release of pain-masking endorphins in the brain, says Cheryl Dileo, a music therapy professor and director of the Arts and Quality of Life Research Center at Temple University. Music can also amplify the effects of a visualization exercise called guided imagery, in which patients focus on a specific image or sensation that evokes the emotions they want to feel, says Ronit Azoulay, a music therapist at the Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City.

http://tinyurl.com/music-for-pain
 

Aging musicians have sharper brains!

Musicians who studied the longest as kids, when tested at the ages of 65-80, functioned better on tests of cognitive skills than those with no musical education.  Scientists opined that the study and playing of music might form and maintain synapses in the brain.

Published in the journal of Neuropsychology, April 2011