Researchers have discovered something that may be a big help to cancer patients’ recovery.
It can decrease anxiety and pain and increase quality of life.
It may also benefit heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure, as well as boost immune system functioning.
It’s not the latest Big Pharma drug. And it’s not even a supplement. Best of all–it’s pretty darn cheap. Even free.
It might sound a little odd, or too simple, but a review of 30 trials involving 1,891 patients provides pretty solid evidence for this particular healer: Music.
That’s right. Music could be a big player in helping cancer patients heal. Whether it’s music therapy provided by professionals or just listening to recorded music, researchers saw positive results.
Granted, explorations of the healing benefits are nothing new–you can probably think of several times in your own life when music has improved your mood or sense of well-being. If you’re thinking back to your teenage years, you probably remember finding solace in music when you were feeling oh-so-misunderstood by the world around you.
Music is already used to decrease tension and anxiety during surgeries and chemotherapy treatments. This, however, is the first time researchers have examined such a large collection of evidence.
The results of 16 of the 30 trials investigated show that music may decrease anxiety (with both cancer and heart disease patients). Six trials showed benefits to physical symptoms including moderate pain reduction.
Overall, the results were pretty darn supportive of including music as part of cancer treatment–whatever route you may take there. And even if you’re not fighting cancer, music may be just the thing to give your body and mind a boost–in fact, I’m going to go put the radio on now!
Ms. O’Brien has written for Nutrition & Healing, Healthier Talk and a variety of other natural and alternative health outlets. She believes in the power of natural medicine and her goal is to open people’s eyes to the benefits of alternative and integrative medicine.
Christine is passionate about helping people help themselves without having to turn to harsh drugs or invasive surgeries.
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don’t know about pain reduction via music but i do know that when someone puts on rap, my pain graph goes off the charts.
My parents use to say that about Elvis, willardf. lol But I’m like you, rap and that twangy country music gets on my last nerve. I worked at a souvenir/lotto store. One night when I was checking up a customer pulled up to a parking space in front. His radio was so loud with rap that those giant glass windows were vibrating. I finally had to walk over to the liquor store to tell him he needs to turn his radio off while he was shopping. It was making me crazy. I’m an old lady. I can’t deal with that. It’s no wonder young people want to shoot other young people. And sometimes they shoot old people. The monotony of it is bad enough but do they have to play it so LOUD?
Loud music should be against the law in some places. It drives me crazy. Someone in my country went so crazy they killed a relative for playing loud music!