Describe the positive effects of music

Answer 1

Musicologist David Tame says this in his book, The Secret Power of Music:
To the question, "Does music affect man's physical body?" modern research replies in the clear affirmative. There is scarcely a single function of the body that cannot be affected by musical tones. The roots of the auditory nerves are more widely distributed and possess more extensive connections than those of any other nerves in the body. Investigation has shown that music affects digestion, internal secretions, circulation, nutrition, and respiration. Even the neural networks of the brain have been found to be sensitive to harmonic principles.
According to Sari Harrar, health news editor for Prevention magazine, "Music has the power to soothe the savage, stressed out beast.". After reviewing clinical studies and anecdotal evidence from music therapists, Harrar concludes that music helps to:
• Manage pain
• Improve mood and mobility
• Reduce the need for pain relievers and sedatives during and after surgery
• Relieve anxiety
• Lower blood pressure
• Ease depression
• Enhance concentration and creativity
Further studies show that music has measurable physical effects on the body. Certain kinds of music have been found to lower heart rates, respiratory rates, and blood pressure; increase tranquil mood states; and increase oxygen levels in the blood. For individuals with hypertension and related conditions, music can be combined with other therapies to promote health. Here are findings from other studies:
• Surgical patients exposed to music reported significantly lower pain intensity and required less morphine compared to a control group.
• Subjects with osteoarthritis reported less arthritic pain when music was played, compared to a control group of subjects who simply sat quietly.
• People undergoing surgery require less anesthesia, wake from anesthesia more quickly and with fewer side effects, and heal more rapidly when healing music is played before, during, and after the surgical procedure.
• Individuals suffering from depression need less medication and have more success in psychotherapy when music is added to their course of treatment.
• Grief, loneliness, and anger are all managed better when appropriate music is added to therapy.
Children with autism and children diagnosed with brain damage all react positively to music therapy.