What Is Music Therapy? And What Are the Benefits?

A song can take you somewhere faster than almost anything else. A few notes from an old favorite may bring back a person you haven’t thought about in years or put you right back in a place you thought you had forgotten. Music can calm you down, make you move, or change your mood before you even realize it is happening.

Those reactions are part of what makes music so interesting to researchers and health professionals. The connection between sound and the brain reaches far beyond simple enjoyment, and scientists have spent years studying the ways music affects memory, stress, pain, and physical movement.

That research has helped shape the field of music therapy, where music is used deliberately to support a person’s health. So how does it work, and what can a song really do for the mind and body? Let’s take a closer look.

What is Music Therapy?

Music therapy is defined as the clinical use of music to improve health outcomes. It has been found to be effective across multiple age groups and varied health needs. Among the groups helped are those with mental health conditions, developmental and learning disabilities, dementia and other aging-related conditions, substance abuse problems, brain injuries, and physical disabilities.

Music therapy comes in two primary varieties: active and receptive.

Active Music Therapy: As the name suggests, participants must be actively involved in the therapy. It typically involves playing simple instruments, dancing, or singing, which provides physical stimulation that benefits physical health. Often it is done as a fun, communal activity.

Receptive Music Therapy: This therapy involves mindfully listening to specially curated recordings or live music to elevate mood and promote relaxation. Music choices are made with consideration of the person's culture, generation, and personal experiences.

The Benefits of Music Therapy

Music therapy has been shown to be beneficial across a wide spectrum of applications. Among the benefits listed by the Music Therapy Association of America are:

• Managing Stress
• Alleviating Pain
• Expressing Feelings
• Enhancing Memory
• Promoting Physical Rehabilitation

Managing Stress

Music therapy has been shown to provide profound positive mental health effects, especially in the areas of stress and anxiety.

One important effect of music is to activate the parasympathetic nervous system. When a person experiences chronic stress and anxiety, the body's "fight-or-flight" response remains more active while at the same time, the calming influence of the parasympathetic nervous system is dampened. Music therapy has been found to increase parasympathetic activity, thereby acting as a counterbalance to soothe and relax the body and mind.

Multiple studies have backed up this observation. For example, a review of 47 published studies involving 2,747 participants found that music therapy was effective in reducing reported stress compared with control groups without this intervention.

Alleviating Pain

Music therapy cannot stop physical pain, but it has been found to affect the perception of pain. One study summarized more than 700 scientific papers and concluded that when music was used alongside other pain-reduction methods, patients reported feeling less pain. Researchers suspect that part of the mechanism underlying this result is that patients are distracted by music, so they focus less on the unpleasant sensations. Not surprisingly, the best results were found when patients selected their own music rather than music chosen by researchers.

Pain is a significant symptom for those suffering from cancer. One study found that such patients reported measurable improvements in pain perception, fatigue, and quality of life as the result of music therapy.

Expressing Feelings

Mental health professionals help people express their emotions, and some have found that music can help open their patients’ feelings. A review of several studies focusing on the effect of music therapy and depression showed that there was evidence that patients reported fewer symptoms and greater improvements in mood compared to control groups without music therapy.

Music can also be used in a clinical setting to improve communication between people in relationships. Using music in couples therapy can help create a calming atmosphere to support deeper intimacy in communication.

Enhancing Memory

Music therapy has been shown to improve memory and cognitive function in patients with dementia. While some medications slow the progression of memory and cognition loss, studies have shown that adding music to the therapeutic mix compounds these benefits.

Researchers note that music has long been used as an aid to memory and to convey stories across generations. Also, music is frequently associated with significant events in a person’s life, such that hearing a tune from the past can evoke strong emotions and aid in retrieving personal memories.

Music may also have a protective effect on cognition for those who do not suffer from dementia. A study from Australia on healthy adults aged 70 years and older found that daily music listeners had a 39% lower risk of dementia, and those who played a musical instrument showed a 35% lower risk.

Promoting Physical Rehabilitation

Music therapy also provides physical benefits. Several studies have found that music is associated with reduced heart rate, lower blood pressure, and slower respiration. This may be related to its effects on the parasympathetic nervous system as noted above. However, there are additional physical effects of exposure to music.

One of the music therapy techniques used in physical rehabilitation is rhythmic auditory stimulation (RAS). RAS involves the rhythmic aspects of music to retrain and enhance motor skills, thereby facilitating smoother, more coordinated movements. This form of music therapy is used to treat Parkinson’s disease to reduce falls and improve gait.

Music also promotes physical activity in other ways. A review of numerous studies found that listening to music before or during physical activity could enhance enjoyment, improve performance, decrease perceived effort, and increase exercise efficiency. This is good news for aging adults who can benefit from music's ability to motivate increased movement, such as walking, dancing, or stretching.

We enjoy music for enjoyment, comfort, and connection, but music therapy plays an important role in supporting health and well-being. Whether it is calming an anxious mind, easing the perception of pain, awakening cherished memories, or simply lifting one's spirits, music offers benefits that extend far beyond entertainment.

Music lessons, concert tickets, or a new instrument can bring more music into your life. Boost Savings can help you set aside money for the experiences and hobbies that keep you engaged.