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“НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, ЖОВТЕНЬ 201 7 WWW. UNWLA.ORG 33 Music Strikes The Right Note in Medicine by Ihor Magun, M.D., F.A.C.P. Music has tremendous power in our lives. Un- questionably, it is a source of comfort, conjuring emotions that can instantaneously change our disposition. W hen the right notes are heard, who doesn’t begin to feel energized, transform oneself to a better mood or experience a mental and phys- ical uplift? Music therapy is now being t au ght in col- leges and universities. And beyond the academic setting, it is beginning to become utilized in vari- ous ways — addressing physical, psychological, so- cial and cognitive issues . The usefulness of music t herapy stems from the fact that music engages those areas in the brain that provide a unique clinical response. Treatment may be individualized and may also be done in groups, utilizing instrumental or vocal music. It may involve anything from exclu- sively listening to moving (dancing) , or actively creating it. In most cases, t here is no need to learn to learn play a traditional instrument. Stroke pa- tients , for example, benefit tremendously just from shaking maracas. Certainly something that requires no form al musical training. A growing body of research substantiates the theory that music can and does i mprove med- ical outcomes. A sampling of the findings includes the following : • Music can help alleviate anxiety and pain before and after surgery. It can eas ily be used to calm any form of anxiety and tension. It may also serve as a distraction. It can serve as an additional mo- tivational source of energy for physical therapy or occupational therapy. • In autistic individuals music improve s commu- nication , beha vior, cognition, social interaction a nd emotional regulation. • Music improve d sleep in participants who lis- tened to slow, sedative tunes every night. Im- provement was noted in sleep latency and effi- ciency as well as in daytime functioning. Music has helpe d individuals get adequate REM sleep, the deep sleep we all need and cherish. • Music is an important tool in chronic pain man- agement. P atient selected music has been shown to alleviate a wide variety of pain. This has result- ed in a decrease in use of ana lgesic medications. • Music provides the external stimuli to permit the body to release mood enhancing chemical s into the body, including dopamine and endor- phins. Mozart’s music in particular was shown to be one of the more potent sources of “mood en- hancem ent . ” • Music can improve the mental health of individ- uals with dementia , and musical sensitivity re- mains intact long into the disease pro gression . It can help wit h physical coordination and memory recall. It also reduce s agitation, alleviate s mood , and a ssist s in communication. • Music also helps i ndividuals who are recovering from a stroke or a traumatic brain injury , who have lost their speech or have incurred damage to the left side of the brain ( the area that is respon- sible for speech ) . Singing abili ty is controlled by the right side of the brain, so individuals can work around the injury to the left side of the brain by singing their thoughts, then gradually dropping the melody. I have listed several areas of music benefit that may not fall into you r particular situation or needs, but everyone can utilize music for personal therapeutic benefit. Choosing the optimal type of music is paramount. You should make an a ppro- priate and personal choice as each individual re- sponds differently , not only to a giv en situation but also to music that has personal meaning . The bottom line is that m usic has a pow- erful impact on mood, outlook, motivational lev- els and disposition. For centuries, albeit not knowing the exact explanation, people have used music to heal an d to achieve a specific state of mind. Current research simply substantiates what has been known all along. So g o ahead : choose your music and begin incorporat ing it into vari- ous aspects of your life. My musical selection is playing in the background as I write (Puccini’s La Boheme ) , and I am already reaping the benefits. I h ope you do as well!
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