Southport Magazine

Confucius is quoted as saying “Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without.” In fact, research shows that music stimulates many areas of the brain but in particular triggers the happiness and pleasure areas causing the neurotransmitter dopamine to be released. Dopamine is a biochemical neurotransmitter associated with feeling good, happy and in a state of pleasure. Because of this, music can be used to decrease stress and anxiety levels as well as decreasing pain or easing a painful event. Studies have shown that calming slow tempo music with low pitch can decrease your blood pressure, help you to relax before surgery or during chemotherapy, endure childbirth and ease pain after surgery or in chronic pain situations such as fibromyalgia. Preliminary studies show that music may improve immune functioning and ultimately help to prevent disease or resist illness. In Alzheimer’s disease, music can be used to help patients recall. I remember working at a nursing home in my high school years. Several people who seemed to be almost comatose could smile, sing and often dance when old familiar tunes were played.

For those of us not in any of the above circumstances, the benefits of music can be found in our day-to-day lives. Use of music during training helps with exercise and increasing endurance perhaps because the focus is off the effort and the beat increases your exercise rate. Music has also been shown to increase your relaxation and improve your sleep quality. In combination with meditation, slow music beats induce a hypnotic state allowing one to become in touch with your feelings as well as improving mood. One benefit of the use of music in high-pressure situations is that cognitive tasks are shown to be enhanced allowing im- proved performance of a skill. Some studies also suggest that the use of soft music combined with low lighting causes eating to slow down ultimately decreasing food intake and causing weight loss!