Music therapy

Word Count: 1066

Introduction

Music therapy is a common type of therapy that is used to help people although many

aren’t aware of it. This source of therapy uses music that helps people accomplish a goal like

reducing stress or physical pain. This is based upon the engagement of musical activities that can

help improve cognitive function or reduce anxiety and the struggle of depression. This topic has

been researched by many people who seem to believe music therapy has benefited many people

but in different ways. According to the Cleveland Clinic, music therapy has benefitted different

aspects of a person's life. This form of treatment is used to manage a range of conditions on any

age group ranging from children to adults. Music therapy can be beneficial for people with

physical and mental disability, cancer or cardiac patients and kids with special education

disability.

Benefits on Mental and Physical Disabilities

Music therapy is well known to work better for people with mental and physical

disabilities. This has shown to have worked to help people with anxiety and people struggling

with depression. This form of therapy has been known to help people who are trying to reduce

anxiety or depression. According to the Cochrane Library, they found that music therapy with

treatment is more effective than treatment alone because it reduced symptoms of depression and

anxiety. This also helps improve functions such as maintaining a job and relationships with

people. “Music therapy for depression is likely to be effective for people in decreasing symptoms

of depression and anxiety. Music therapy also helps people to function in their everyday life”
 ( Maratos, 2003). Music therapy can help people with physical conditions. People with

physical disabilities use music therapy to either help with muscle movement or communication

skills. Music therapy is utilized as a way to develop muscle function that can improve fine motor

control, range of motion and can help enhance respiratory and cardiopulmonary function.”

(author, 2023). Other major benefits are helping peoples wellness, managing stress, reducing

pain tolerance, and can improve your memory. Some of the benefits a Cleveland Clinic said

about music therapy is that this can help better their communication skills, reduce your pain

levels and improve physical coordination, motor functions and movement.

Cardiac Patients and Breast Cancer

Even though people who struggle with physical and mental disabilities benefit from

music therapy, people who are struggling with health issues. Cancer and Cardiac patients prefer

music therapy rather than other forms of therapy because they are able to relax while going

through surgery and radiation. A study on women with breast cancer found out that music

therapy has had the better outcome to help them. In the article, Expectations of hospitalized

cancer and cardiac patients regarding the medical and psychotherapeutic benefits of music

therapy, they mostly focus on the study and effect that music therapy has on women with breast

cancer and on patients with cardiac problems. The effect of music therapy to cancer patients with

different types of diagnoses have been shown to reveal many benefits. Bruscia“ Cancer patients

struggle cognitively with whether they should hang on or let go while seeking some kind of

transcen-dence;” (Bruscia, year). They Are more willing to engage or interact more with others

in music therapy if they are allowed to listen or hear music before speaking on their preferred

music types. But this does not only relate to women with breast cancer but also cardiac patients
have found that it also helps them. Cardiac patients have found that music therapy has helped

with relieving stress, pain and helping with their emotions. “cardiac patients struggle emotionally

with depression,”(Bruscia, year). Cardiac patients have been known to fall into depression

because of what they have or are going through. Throughout the research they found that there

were major benefits to this. Some benefits were that it relieves stress or anxiety, they had

emotional support and comfort, and enjoyed music and life to the fullest.

Benefits on Special Kids

People who are using music therapy because it benefited them while battling through

cardiac problems or breast cancer. Kids with special disabilities like autism prefer music therapy

because they benefit from this greatly to better themselves. Kids that have autism believe that

music therapy helps them better because it helps people who are autistic improve in many skills.

“Music therapy for autism can help improve an individual's skills in social interaction, verbal

communication, initiating behavior, and reducing anxiety”(author, year). They suffer with these

problems for a long time and only some can get the help they need with music therapy.

"Reported benefits included, but were not limited to increased [neurotypical] social behavior;

increased attention to task; increased vocalization, verbalization, gesture, and vocabulary

comprehension; increased communication and social skills; enhanced body awareness and

coordination; improved self-care skills; and reduced anxiety." This can benefit them in more

ways than others because they can get better at communicating with people in the word and are

less likely to get nervous. Kids who also have developmental disabilities prefer music therapy

because it can help them in many ways that are beneficial. Music therapy might respond to music

and build up functions in the body that aren't helping or working.“Music can help BUILD up the
areas of the brain that are not functioning to their full capabilities. Music can even help build

new centers in the brain to process input such as speech.” ( author , year ). Music can

Solutions

Though music therapy is known to some people, not everybody knows about it or has

access to this type of therapy. The solutions to making music therapy more accessible for people

with mental and physical disabilities would better help and benefit people. To get better access

for people with mental and physical disabilities, this involves ensuring that the services are all

inclusive and accessible and also breaking down barriers that cause this issue to happen. For

starters, we can begin by making it accessible for people in the comfort of their own home.

Spouses or partners with disabilities will advocate for this if they feel more comfortable doing

this while being comforted in their own home. They can help by expanding collaboration with

community centers or support groups so that this can reach a bigger audience of people. By

establishing assistance people financially or having scholarships, this can make music therapy

more affordable for people. Seeking funding from the government

3 solution are
 Work Cited

American Music Therapy Association. Music Therapy as a Treatment Modality for

Autism Spectrum Disorders. 2012,

Bruscia, Kenneth, et al. “Expectations of Hospitalized Cancer and Cardiac Patients

Regarding the Medical and Psychotherapeutic Benefits of Music Therapy.” The Arts in

Psychotherapy, vol. 36, no. 4, Sept. 2009, pp. 239–44,

Chen, Carl. “Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taipei.”

Cgmh.org.tw, 2013, www1.cgmh.org.tw/intr/intr2/c3390/en/music-therapy.htm.

Cleveland Clinic. “Music Therapy: What Is It, Types & Treatment.” Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland

Clinic, 24 Nov. 2020, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/8817-music-therapy.

crilon52. “How the Physically Disabled Can Benefit from Music Therapy.” Cril Online, 20 Aug.

2021,

cril-online.org/2021/08/20/how-the-physically-disabled-can-benefit-from-music-therapy/.

Accessed 14 Dec. 2023.

Kievisiene, Justina, et al. “The Effect of Art Therapy and Music Therapy on Breast Cancer

Patients: What We Know and What We Need to Find Out—a Systematic Review.”

Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, vol. 2020, July 2020, pp.

1–14, https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/7390321.
Maratos, A., and C. Gold. “Music Therapy for Depression.” The Cochrane Database of

Systematic Reviews, edited by Anna Maratos, Oct. 2003,

https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.cd004517.

Mateos-Moreno, Daniel, and Lidia Atencia-Doña. “Effect of a Combined Dance/Movement and

Music Therapy on Young Adults Diagnosed with Severe Autism.” The Arts in

Psychotherapy, vol. 40, no. 5, Nov. 2013, pp. 465–72,

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aip.2013.09.004.

“Music Therapy Is a Risk-Free Therapy for Autistic Kids.” Verywell Health,

www.verywellhealth.com/music-therapy-for-autism-260057#:~:text=Music%20therapy%

20. Accessed 21 Dec. 2023.

R. Herndon , Jamie. “What Is Music Therapy?” Verywell Health, 16 Dec. 2021,

www.verywellhealth.com/music-therapy-5211613#:~:text=Music%20therapy%20is%20a

%20 kind. Accessed 14 Dec. 2023.