Health Benefits Of Listening To Music

Listening to music is one of the most pleasant activities we can do. Music is capable of making us feel emotions, revive others, dream, think, do catharsis, create, have fun and even help us connect with others. Clearly, this is a very beneficial activity, but how do we list all the good it does for us? Let’s see it next.

Listening to music is effective in relieving pain

• Slow music helps to slow down your breathing and heart rate, preventing feelings of distress.
• It can reduce chronic pain from a variety of painful conditions, such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.  In fact, music therapy is part of treatment programs for these types of patients.

• It often helps those with migraines. It helps to combat chronic headaches and reduce the intensity and duration of chronic headaches, as indicated by this research published in the journal Jan, in 2016.
• Therefore, it can be stated that music therapy is commonly used in hospitals to:
  • Reduce the need for medication during labor.
  • Reduce postoperative pain.
  • Complement the use of anesthesia during surgery.

This occurs because music serves as a distraction, gives a sense of control, and causes the body to release endorphins to counteract pain.

Lowers blood pressure

By listening to soothing music in the morning and evening, people with hypertension can be able to lower their blood pressure and keep it low. This stems from a study published in the Cuban Journal of Psychology in 2003.

Speeds recovery after stroke

As Ávila deduces from a study published in 2014, a daily dose of your favorite tunes can speed recovery from debilitating hemorrhages or paralysis.

When stroke patients listen to music for a couple of hours each day, verbal memory and attention span often improve.

Boost your immunity

Scientists explain that music can create a positive and deep emotional experience that leads to the secretion of immune-boosting hormones. This, in turn, contributes to a reduction in the factors responsible for the disease. 

Likewise, listening to music can also lower levels of cortisol, the stress-related hormone. Higher levels of cortisol can lead to a decreased immune response.

Increases memory and learning performance

Listening to music or playing an instrument can promote learning.

In the case of Mozart and Baroque music, they activate the left and right brain. The simultaneous action of the left and right brain maximizes learning and information retention.

On the other hand, studying activates the left hemisphere, while music activates the right hemisphere of the brain.

Also, activities that are docked on both sides of the brain, such as playing an instrument and singing, make the brain more capable of processing information.

Increase concentration and attention

As Tobar maintains in an article published in Revista EducAcción in 2013, relaxing music improves the duration and intensity of concentration. This also happens at all ages and skill levels.

Improves movement and body coordination

Finally, music reduces muscle tension and body movement and improves coordination.  It also plays an important role in the development, maintenance and restoration of physical function in the rehabilitation of people with movement disorders.

In short, music is a cultural phenomenon that directly influences our state of mind.  Listening to music also activates parts of our brain in a beneficial way for our health. Lastly, it causes us to release endorphins, which always makes us feel better.