Music Therapy
cowboy
Music From the Soul, for the Body
By BARRIE R. CASSILETH
"Music exalts each joy, allays each Grief, expels Diseases, softens
every Pain, subdues the rage of Poison and the Plague."
--John Armstrong, "The Art of Preserving Health, Book IV" (1744)
* * *
Earlier this decade in what was Yugoslavia, an amazing discovery
occurred. It was a segment of the thighbone of a cave bear, used by
Neanderthals who walked the Earth more than 43,000 years ago. The amazing
aspect was that the bone remnant contained four carefully spaced holes: It
was a prehistoric flute. Our Neanderthal cousins made music all those
centuries ago. Perhaps they used it to help manage mysterious problems such
as illnesses.
Later, music was simultaneously deified and linked to healing by the
ancient Greeks, who worshiped Apollo as the god of music and healing. That
formal connection has persisted through time and across cultures. People the
world over invoked music and sound as part of their healing ceremonies. From
the wonderfully eerie hum of Tibetan bowls, to the rhythmic drumbeats of
African and Native American peoples, to the songs of Malaysian
priest-doctors, music remains a cradle of comfort and a powerful healing
tool.
Few can doubt music's ability to influence our behavior. We turn to
music to express our feelings or to move others to action. We sing lullabies
to put our babies to sleep and "The Star-Spangled Banner" to express our
patriotism. Favorite ballads express our love, and some contemporary music
expresses our anger. An entire industry was created when Muzak provided
soothing background music for shops, offices, elevators and restaurants,
turning them into calming environments that induced a more leisurely pace.
It is not surprising to learn that modern medicine also knows the value
of music. Music therapy offers proven benefits. It is well tolerated,
inexpensive, easy to manage and free of side effects. It enhances the
effectiveness of both primary medical treatment and rehabilitation therapy,
treating pain, anxiety and other ills. Every day it is applied in many and
varied health care settings, including operating and delivery rooms, dental
offices and rehabilitation centers.
Although there is not yet a well-documented theory to explain how music
therapy works, research shows that it reduces blood pressure, heart rate,
respiration and body temperature. It benefits mood and seems able to improve
immune and hormone function.
Music promotes healing and a general sense of well-being, alleviating
the physical and emotional pain that accompanies many medical conditions. It
has been shown to decrease anxiety and depression in terminally ill
patients, thereby improving the quality of remaining time. Health
professionals found long ago that music enhances the care and rehabilitation
of the elderly and disabled. Hospitalized heart attack patients experience
significant reductions in heart rate, respiratory rate and anxiety levels
after listening to relaxing music.
Studies also show that music can alleviate symptoms in patients
recovering from strokes or struggling with Parkinson's disease. Music helps
patients in their fight against substance abuse, physical disabilities,
brain injuries, mental retardation and autism. Investigations involving
patients with dementia or Alzheimer's disease find that musical cues
increase patients' attention and their ability to focus on their immediate
surroundings.
In hospital delivery rooms, music often is used to reduce women's need
for medication during childbirth. It works for children too, reducing
anxiety among youngsters about to undergo surgery. Premature babies gain
weight more quickly when music is played for them.
Research in intensive care and pre- and post-operative centers
documents the ability of music therapy to measurably reduce patients' needs
for medication. A dramatic example of music therapy's power occurred not
long ago in the ICU of a large urban cancer center. The family of a comatose
patient asked the music therapist to play the patient's favorite song on her
guitar. The patient opened her eyes, her lips curved into a small smile, and
she reached a shaky hand toward her family--a fleeting, final miracle
invoked by music therapy to the joy and astonishment of family and staff.
Professionally trained and certified music therapists (there are more than
5,000 in the U.S., many with graduate degrees) work with patients
individually and in groups. They play musical instruments, listen to and
discuss recorded music, and encourage patients to write and talk about
original music that expresses their feelings or fears. Depending on
patients' strength, preferences and ability, they may want to join in,
playing instruments from simple drums to guitars to portable keyboards.
Selection and choice are major keys to success. The therapist must come
to understand the patient's musical interests, which often requires learning
about the patient's lifestyle, and the therapist must have the ability to
play many instruments and various types of music, from pop tunes to
bluegrass to opera, according to the patient's preferences.
Ancient Egyptian tomb paintings depict harp players and other musicians
creating a better afterlife. We know now that music therapy can benefit the
living, healthy or ill, in profoundly useful and pleasant ways.
* * *
Barrie Cassileth is chief of integrative medicine at Memorial
Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York and the author of "The Alternative
Medicine Handbook" (Norton, 1998). Her column appears the first Monday of
the month. She can be reached at Bar...@juno.com