Music: Playing the Notes and Keys to Wellness
There are several components that serve as essential foundations of good health. These underlying factors run into a vast stream of succession all aimed to improve and better the health of everyone. Factors that present themselves obviously before us – medicines and drugs are situated at the top of the list.
However, there are simple ways in order for everyone to maintain and improve health. It can be simply realized when one is laying down at the comfort of their bed, occupying a bench at the nearby park and even while making your favorite sandwich.
One of these ways is by listening to music. Music, for most of us, has been around as we go along with our lives. From our first little steps as a kid until today, we continue to hear and listen to music. It is an art, a release, an identity and a way of expressing ourselves to others.
And apart from changing our moods, the fact that music can largely contribute in improving our good health is a delight to all of us.
“One good thing about music, is when it hits you, you feel no pain.”
Insightful words from the late musician Bob Marley. The words above are also the lyrics from his song “Trenchtown Rock”. With his words, Mr. Marley didn’t only made himself a true and credible musician but also a doctor at his own right.
Music has been proven to benefit both mental and physical health. This finding came from a review of 400 research papers in the neurochemistry of music which found that the function of our immune system can be improved while playing and listening to music. Accordingly, it can also reduce levels of stress and it has stood to be much more successful than prescribed drugs in decreasing an individual’s anxiety before undergoing certain treatments or surgeries.
It is also physiologically proven to affect our pulse rate, breathing and heart rate resulting to physical chills of satisfaction. Also, Dr. Mike Miller, who specializes in Cardiology, conducted a study with the effects of music to the cardiovascular system by measuring the size of the blood vessels before, during and after listening to music. It was found that everytime his patients liked the music, their blood vessels start to relax and open up.
Moreover, a study by Stanford University founded that after undergoing music therapy, their depressed patients’ moods were improved and they all positively gained self-esteem.
Music can also serve as our personal “time machine”, taking us back to yesterday by triggering related memories. Personally, listening to the song “Basket Case” by the American rock band “Green Day” takes me back to the time when I was a little teenager who once jumped on bushes, laughed my heart out with friends, unaware of the impending responsibilities of the unrecognized future – a very good thing to always remember.
Also, listening to music causes the brain to release dopamine which is considered to be a feel-good chemical making our central nervous system to function positively. This essential chemical further effects and improves our perceptions, movements and emotions.
In regards to physical health, listening to music can pump up your adrenaline. It is in fact that several fitness gyms play upbeat or cheerful music to keep every client’s natural energy going. It has been proven that stimulating tunes can actually improve muscle tension while sedative tunes decrease the muscle tension, helps you relax and improve sleep quality.
Music provides several benefits for everyone. These few facts are greatly supported by medical professionals and science. It is a joy that great outcomes can be delivered by the simplest ways. Music has to do much greater than we picture it to be. It impacts us in a very special way. All across the world, at about every corner of a random place, there is the sound of music beating through the airwaves and we all deserve to have a daily dose of it. We all deserve to achieve good health, we all deserve music.
