How Does Music Affect the Body Physiologically?

Music not only soothes the savage beast, it enhances your body, mind, work ability and emotional state. The ancient Egyptians believed that the gods gave them music to heal and purify their souls. The ancient Greeks played music in their temples to refresh and renew the body. In modern times, a growing body of research confirms the power of music to enhance your body in a wide variety of ways.

Healing Power

• Listening to music eases chronic pain from conditions such as arthritis and back problems by over 20 percent, according to a study published in the "Journal of Advanced Nursing" and reported on the eMed Expert website. According to a study in the "Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing," patients recovering from cardiac surgery who listened to 20 minutes of music felt much less anxiety and pain than those who spent the same 20 minutes resting without music. Other research has shown that music therapy in hospitals reduced the amount of drugs necessary during childbirth; music played at a slow tempo reduced the blood pressure and heart rate of listeners; and stroke patients who listened to about two hours per day of their favorite music improved more rapidly in terms of memory and attention span. Scientists say your emotional response to music even leads to the release to hormones that boost the immune system.

Brain Power

• EMed Expert writes that music enhances our intelligence and learning ability. Although the link between classical music and performance on cognitive tests has been publicized widely, more recent studies indicate listening to any music you enjoy has positive effects on brain functioning. In addition, listening to music or playing an instrument allows the brain to be better at processing and recalling information. However, it won't help if you listen to music with lyrics and try to recall information afterward, since you're more likely to recall the song lyrics. Finally, easy listening or classical music improves your concentration, regardless of age and ability level.

Productivity Boost

• Upbeat music tends to energize people who do monotonous work, although hard rock or rap can make you jittery rather than energized. By experimenting with different forms of music, you can determine what sounds give you the right amount of a boost. Also, a report in the "Journal of Neuroscience of Behavior and Physiology" says that your ability to recognize visual images, including both numbers and letters, quickens when rock or classical music plays in the background.

Stress Reliever

• Research cited by EMed Expert indicates that 45 minutes of Bach before bedtime helps reduce insomnia and obtain more restful sleep. Slow, classical music relieves stress any time of the day for newborns as well as other age groups. Upbeat tunes make people feel more cheerful and optimistic, and the amount of stress hormone cortisol is reduced by listening to music. The therapeutic benefits of music extend to those suffering from clinical depression as well.