More and more researchers are looking at the relationship between music and the human body. Here are a few recent developments!
At the Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute in New Jersey, patients who undergo surgery are accompanied by music during recovery. The heart tends to fall into rhythm with music — the beat helps the heart maintain a smooth, steady pace. Music is also used in the recovery room immediately after surgery to help quiet anxiety and promote feelings of peace.
A study from the University of Maryland Medical Center found that hearing your favorite song can be a big benefit for the whole body — it can increase blood flow through the body, resulting in a natural “high”. Study participants who heard music they didn’t like experienced a narrowing of the blood vessels. Study participants who heard their favorite songs had a twenty-six percent increase in blood vessel diameter, allowing for the increased blood flow.
At the Center for Neurological Restoration (part of the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio), classical music is played during deep brain stimulation surgery — a treatment for Parkinson’s disease. Researchers measure the brain’s response to music.
Researchers from Harvard are planning a study of the relationship between music and the sleep cycles of hospital patients. Previous research has found that the heart will synchronize with a slow, steady beat in a piece of music; this new study will look at how music can influence rest in a hospital setting.
A growing number of hospitals around the country employ live harpists as part of the recovery plan for patients. This was inspired by ancient paintings depicting healers and priests playing the harp. Harpists who watch the monitors while they play report that patient blood pressure usually goes down and oxygen rates go up. In other words, patients are relaxing and breathing deeply — thanks in large part to the music.
It’s easy enough to sum things up: the right music can bring peace and comfort to the sick… and the healthy. So the next time you’re feeling stressed, a few minutes of your favorite music might help soothe things.