The “Mozart Effect” is a widely-known phenomenon; it points towards music improving short-term memory, IQ scores, spatial reasoning, and more. On the other hand, lesser-known is the correlation between music and many other aspects of our lives such as stress, emotion, and even medical practice.
It’s no hidden secret that a great way to relax is to put on calming music, close your eyes, and let the sounds take you away. Delving further into the science behind this phenomenon, according to a study done in New York, surgical patients who listened to music were less hypotensive both during and after their operations. Additionally, even the operating surgeons demonstrated less stress when listening to the music of their choice. In a separate series of studies, these results extended to unconscious patients as well.
Continuing along these lines, music therapy has been proven to reduce depressive symptoms. Furthermore, music can improve your quality of sleep, although using soothing sounds to assist in falling asleep is hardly anything new. Conversely, not all music is calming. In general, a slower tempo correlates with a slower heartbeat and calmer emotions, whereas a faster tempo can cause heartbeat and blood pressure to rise.
On the flip-side, a Canadian study found that almost half of adult musicians suffer from overuse injuries mainly located in the arm. A musician’s risk for repetitive-use injuries is almost as high as the risk facing an assembly-line food packer. Moreover, focal dystonia, a movement disorder, is often an issue for musicians, along with hearing loss and skin rashes.
However, possibly most surprising of all, music can aid in stroke recovery. A study shows that when exposed to music during treatment, a patient’s verbal memory and control over their mental operations increases significantly in comparison to unexposed patients. To add on, music decreases an individual’s chance of falling by more than 50% by bettering balance and gait; similar results with mobility can be seen concerning Parkinson’s disease.
All in all, music goes far beyond simple sounds that we like to listen to; it goes beyond even the artistic choices and intricacies that so many of us take for granted—the tempo, dynamics, harmonies, balance—music holds far more power than we generally realize. Not only is it a source of enjoyment, but it is also a tool that can improve our emotions, health, and way of life, and it is just waiting to be utilized.
SOURCES:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/music-and-health