The rhythmic doctor!

How many of us listen to music just for a pastime or for getting rid of stress and don’t know that its other magical powers to miraculously cure certain other health ailments too? These tunes and lyrics not only can bring happiness or tears, it can also benefit our physical and mental health in numerous other ways. Bob Marley, who has understood music much, has cited in his “Trench town rock” songs that music , even when it hits you, you feel no pain. This creation of pitch and frequencies has an excellent record of healing numerous disorders. Starting from reduction of blood pressure to recovery from heart attacks, music plays an eminent role. It is almost like a tradition to turn on the music before and during operations in most of the hospitals, that the patient is relieved from his anxiety and surgeons feel at ease, operating his patient. Apart from that, it elevates mood while driving, improves cognitive performance, and help cancer patients to cope up with stress.

                  Famous legendaries have made history by making magic out of music. One of them being, Mian Tansen, a prominent Hindusthani classical music composer who brought down rain by playing the raga Megh Malhar and brought fire with the raga Deepak. He also had incredible powers of calming wild animals by singing to them and also gave a new life to a man who was adversely affected by a disease. Wazir Khan, one other eminent person in the music field, lit candles of a chandelier through his music. So is music’s awesomeness! Amazed? So am I!

The list of wonderment is not yet over. Its just too tempting to know that music can also solves our worries, thinking about strenuous and boring workouts to slash down our calories. Music makes us eat little, increase our working out efficiency and effectiveness, speed up post-work out recovery and improve sleep quality. A study has proved that, listening to slow, soothing music helps us eat little and thus, restrict the amount that we consume. It is probably because eating slowly can make us mindful about the content we eat and the quantity. 

Different people have their choices of music. Few get thrilled listening to a soft tune and a few crave for rock. Whatever the kind is, how much ever complicated the brain is, it is really surprising that music induces “chills” which triggers the production of feel-good “Dopamine” (A chemical produced in the brain for proper neurological functions). But, it is very much essential to choose the song for desired effect, like upbeat songs for exercising and melodies for relaxing. It is mandatory to follow this rule to receive the most effective results. Music also does invoke elating memories of people or incidents or even the ones that brings depressing feelings. If you get used to rock music, you won’t be finding yourself liking classical ones. For certain others, rock music can hurt their feelings, make the situation worse, rather than getting uplifted.

It is much convincing that music can also resolve most of the confusions and dilemma that we are struck in, at times. Sitting alone, with music plugged on and sinking into our own world of thoughts, is definitely a relief from external stress and pressure. Many of us would have had a firsthand experience in it. One more stunning fact about music is that, it helps people suffering from memory loss to connect to their past time. Their favourite tune, of their choice, takes them back to their history, because the part of the brain which processes music is located next to memory. An evidence says that musical interventions can play a health care role in settings ranging from operating rooms to clinics. But even more importantly, it has neurochemical mechanisms by which music has an effect in four demains: management of mood, stress, immunity and an interface to social bonding. Results showed that music increases an antibody that plays an important role in immunity of the mucous system, known as immunoglobulin A, as well as natural killer cell counts, the cells that attack germs and bacteria invading the body.

What more is required? This healing power of music is one of its major proficiencies. Regardless of our taste, it is proven that music benefits our health. Now, that we have a genuine excuse for playing music out loud!

Poornima Balasubramanian

I am a happy go person. Basically, love making friends. I spend my leisure by writing, reading, watching movies or sketching abstracts. I am a civil services apirant too!

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