For many people, music is a part of daily life. From listening to the radio on the drive to work or using an mp3 player at the gym, music has permeated our lives and culture. While music has long been enjoyed for its entertaining purposes, there are many other ways that music can be beneficial. Music affects the body in several ways, some of these ways include:
1. An improvement in brain damage that has occurred. Music has been shown the improve the brain damage in patients who have experienced a stroke, brain legion or other trauma to the brain. Those who have lost the partial ability to see or speak may be able to retrieve some of the functions that have been lost. Patients are able to change the way the brain interprets information by using singing to replace the traditional language use. The brain is re-trained in a way and this change allows patients to improve their ability to communicate with speech. Pleasurable music also released dopamine in the brain which leads to a pleasant feeling.
2. Performing a musical piece can be used as an effective distraction for those trying to recover with some type of addiction. While playing music, the neurotransmitters are activated in the brain. They are also activated in the brain when some uses drugs, although the reaction is quite different. Listening to enjoyable music can also be greatly useful for those enduring the detox phase when dealing with addiction recovery.
3. Music can improve the functioning of the immune system. This shocking benefit of listening to melodies may be beneficial for those with heart disease, lung conditions and even a cold. Music works to reduce cortisol levels in the body. This is beneficial as it reduces the amount of stress a person experiences. The reduction in stress levels is great for those who are looking for a boost in the immune system. It can also raise immune markers in the body which leads to an increase in the production of antibodies.
4. A decrease in seizures has been documented for those who utilize the benefits of music. This amazing benefit has only shown to be effective when patients listened to Mozart. While it is unknown the exact reasoning of this benefit, doctors and scientists believe that the results are due to a change in the cerebral cortex.
5. Music is able to return memories for some people. This can be true for the average person or even Alzheimer’s patients. Listening to music activates both hemispheres of the brain. The feelings that are experienced while listening to a variety of songs are transmitted to the hippocampus of the brain. During this transfer of information, memories may be brought to the forefront of the mind.
6. An increase in spatial reasoning may be seen. While this is one of the features featured in an IQ test, spatial reasoning is important in everyday life. While it is not completely clear on why this occurs, some speculate that certain types of music are able to focus the person who is listening to it in a deep manner.
7. One of the best benefits that may be seen is the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. Music is able to stimulate unresponsive areas in the brain that control the body’s movement. Loss of balance and muscle spasms that are common in patients may also be improved.
Overall, listening to music can be extremely beneficial. From the average person, to someone suffering from a debilitating disease or brain damage, everyone can see an improvement.