Music and your health
- , by SANUSq Research team
- 2 min reading time
Music and your health - NL-045
Everyone loves music and there is a reason why playing music is such a great stress buster for many. Listening to your favourite song after a long day at work can do wonders for your mood and energy levels. Music is a beautiful way to express your emotions, communicate and build social connections. Its effect on the body and the mind is so powerful that healthcare settings actively use music-based interventions to improve health outcomes in people with chronic pain, anxiety, depression and many other health conditions.
How music influences your health?
Music and brain health
Listening to music or playing a musical instrument stimulates and engages almost all areas in your brain that are responsible for emotions, creativity and cognitive functions such as learning, memory and concentration. Music is for the brain what gym is for the body. When you are listening to happy, cheerful music, there is a surge of neurotransmitters and hormones, such as dopamine and serotonin, which boost emotional and mental health. Listening to your favourite song, making music or singing uplift your mood and make you feel happy.
Music can ease an anxious mind, relieve symptoms in people with depression, reduce stress and improve cognitive functions. Studies show that music has a significant effect on anxiety, nervousness, and feelings of worry. Music therapy programs are also beneficial for people with Parkinson’s [1] and Alzheimer’s disease.
Music and physical health
Listening to music can support your physical well-being and improve your quality of life. It boosts immunity, reduces fatigue, and keeps your heart healthy as it has a positive effect on heart rate, blood pressure and cortisol levels. Listening to your favourite music relaxes blood vessels and improves blood circulation. Upbeat music is known to improve mood, energy and work output, which helps your exercise better and boost endurance. Listening to calm and relaxing music can be extremely beneficial to people with insomnia. It relaxes the mind, helps you fall asleep and improves sleep quality.
Music and pain
Music-based interventions have been found to help manage chronic pain associated with certain health conditions such as cancer, fibromyalgia, and osteoarthritis. Many studies show that music can be a great tool in reducing pain and anxiety in patients during and after surgery. In fact, surgeons often play classical music to remain calm and efficient during long and stressful surgeries.
- Sotomayor et al. Music Therapy and Parkinson's Disease: A Systematic Review from 2015-2020. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021
- A Y R Kühlmann et al. Meta-analysis evaluating music interventions for anxiety and pain in surgery. British Journal of Surgery. 2018