Bringing Music to Mainstream Medicine: A Practice With No Side Effects
Erika Nagamoto
When asked why music/music therapy is not currently more integrated in traditional healthcare, general surgeon, Dr. Toshio Nagamoto states, “I wouldn’t even know where to send my patients to a music therapist. I have a list of places where I would send my patients for physical therapy. But it’s unfortunate that I don’t have a list of people who do music therapy. It really should be included as acupuncture, physical therapy, massage therapy, well, why not music therapy?[7]”
The rise of music streaming apps has made music much more accessible within the last few decades, especially. Because of this, music as a therapy is gaining popularity. But it is not yet a mainstream option in traditional health care, despite music being a proven treatment option for health. Music therapy seems to be more well known than music medicine. Music medicine has the potential to be a strong alternative to more invasive health practices.
Prescribing music sounds like a novel idea to some, though what makes it different than prescribing patients ibuprofen, or a low fat diet? Most people are already aware that music makes them feel good, and it is beneficial to one’s health, but the way that people use music can become even more beneficial when bringing it to mainstream medicine. According to McGill University, listening to music that you enjoy releases dopamine and serotonin which are known as ‘happy hormones [6].’ This could lesson the need for narcotics, increase cardiac health, and even prevent diseases of the brain in elderly people. Will the ever-growing accessibility of music begin to replace more expensive practices like anti-anxiety drugs and anesthesia, or will we continue to label more effective solutions like music solely as “alternative medicine?”
Music Therapy Vs. Music Medicine
Music therapy is a relatively new practice described as “a systematic process in which carefully controlled music is used “in the treatment, rehabilitation, education and training of children and adults suffering from physical, mental or emotional disorder” [1]. This requires a trained music therapist. Studies involving music therapy have increased since the 1990s and thus spiked an increase in music therapy both in schools and prescribed in addition to or in place of occupational therapy. Music and movement therapy has been particularly effective in patients with gait issues such as stroke or Parkinson’s. Gait rehabilitation physical therapy has been significantly more effective when paired with music or metronomic sounds due to musical rhythms being largely processed in the basal ganglia.
Given the evidence, music should have a strong place in the healthcare environment. As Hilary Moss states in her book ‘Music and Creativity in Healthcare Settings’, “Music has great potential to create an environment conducive to health and well-being.” Music therapy is growing rapidly and is being integrated in some schools, though doctors are still more likely to prescribe a medication instead of an instrument or opera for anxiety. It may be a slower integration in the professional healthcare setting, but many people already ‘self-medicate’ through curated playlists and even ASMR [5].
Unlike music therapy, music medicine does not require a trained therapist and can be used at home without a professional. Much like over-the-counter medicines, music medicine can be used to treat minor ailments from home, but without side-effects and for extremely low costs.
Why Music?
Music as a healing practice has been a part of human culture since the start of civilizations. From using the vibrations of Ancient Greek flutes to aid in digestion, to modern music therapy teaching children phonetics; music has been proven to improve mental and physical health and even can be used to heal or prevent mental and physical ailments [4]. There is no question that music is beneficial to one’s health, however the lack of understanding as to ‘why’ may be the factor that is holding music back as a mainstream medical practice. Music effects many regions of the brain in all mammals. Paralimbic and parahippocampal gyrus regions that are involved with fear and reward systems in the brain are activated when listening to certain kinds of music.
Music has a strong effect on emotions and can be beneficial to aid in attention, perception, memory, and communication areas in the brain. The effect is even stronger when paired with movement as it highly engages premotor frontal areas [1]. These effects were not studied in a traditional scientific way until the end of the 19th century. Many of the studies focused on music and cardiac functions. In the late 1700s a doctor by the name of Diogel set up drums coated in soot and measured blood pressure and pulse rate of his patients through a stylus. He brought in live musicians to play for his patients and found that music lowers blood pressure, increases cardiac output and decreases pulse rate [4].
Tailoring the Tunes
In 2019, one study found that music, in addition to reducing stress levels of patients, can also reduce stress levels in surgeons and effect surgical performance. This study found that depending on the type of music, the surgeon’s performance could be improved as well as hindered. Loud and upbeat music was more likely to distract the surgeon rather than calm and soothing ‘easy listening’ was more beneficial to performance. Music was not beneficial or even desired in most emergency situations as it negatively impacted communications between members of the surgical team. In routine surgeries, operation time decreased and skin repair was improved [2].
In a study published in 2022, music, specifically opera had a positive effect on the mental health of all people and an even bigger positive effect on people over age fifty [3]. It not only regulated emotions, changing negative emotions to positive ones, but reduced tension and stress and replaced it with joy.
When asked what music he found beneficial, professional musician and 2011 Texaco Country Showdown winner, Randy Nicholson says he uses calm music to sleep and de-stress. He uses upbeat music to be productive at work and while working out.
“If you had a playlist of all songs that boosted your mood then I think boosting your mood is better for your health anyways and helps you heal. When I did sports in high school if I listened to super upbeat music, I performed better. I ran faster, jumped further, and it was obvious. It gave me adrenaline instantly. [9]”
Music and Pain
Music has a quality that allows people to relax, which therefore increases pain tolerance. Many pain medicines make people feel groggy, or have side effects, but music is something that everyone can safely enjoy. Professional musician and former member of the Artemis quartet, Anthea Kreston on her use of music to help her through childbirth,
“When I gave birth, I made a playlist. I had natural birth so I didn’t have an aspirin or anything. I chose to put on the playlist a lot of Schubert solo piano sonatas because the phrases are super long and I thought they would help me breathe in a really, really long way. And it was great. When I gave birth to my second, I was in a birthing center in Eugene. At some point, one of the midwives said something and another midwife was like, ‘You know what? You don’t have to say anything. She knows what she’s doing.’ I basically gave a completely silent birth because I was just listening to the music. [10]”
Hospital Halls
Music is often used to soothe and bring community to those who need it. Connection is something that is important for people to heal.Anthea Kreston is a major leader in using music to help others. She used to bring her classical trio to the children’s hospital in Dayton, Ohio.
“We played concerts in the lobby. We would also play little miniature concerts in the ER, funny enough. We played lunchtime concerts in the cafeteria, and started and directed a volunteer nurses choir, where we would play along with the nurses. And then we also had this music trolley where our pianist had a piano keyboard on a dolly and Jason had a wheelie chair and I was standing up. The pianist was dragging this red kid’s truck that had all these little teeny instruments. So for the little kids who were on oxygen and couldn’t come out of their rooms for the concerts, we went room to room and they were able to try instruments out. [10]”
Challenges
Massage therapist and lifelong musician, Ana Beckett speaks on why music medicine is not in the forefront of physician’s minds.
“There’s just no funding for music therapy. So that would be the big hurdle is to get hospitals and insurance companies to value it. Maybe if there was enough research to show the value of it. Funding always seems to be the problem. Or changing the course, you know, it’s like, that’s the big thing is that mindset of ‘no, this is the way we’ve always done it.’ Can we try another way? [8]”
As research continues to validate the health benefits of music and technological advancements like streaming services continue to enhance its application, medicinal music is ready to become an important part of healthcare. Toshi Nagamoto is an enthusiastic supporter of music medicine and would like to see it become a more mainstream practice.
“Number one, it doesn’t cost them anything. Number two, it’s readily available. Number three, no side effects. I think there should be more of that in the future. It benefits not only just patients but also the workers. So yeah, I think physicians need to be more in the forefront of educating patients saying it is as good as taking a pill. [7]”
The beauty of medicinal music is that you do not need a trained professional to reap its benefits or even experiment with it. The benefits of music do not stop at listening. Learning how to play an instrument has been proven to boost health and create a sense of community. Making a playlist that has all of your favorite songs could be a good way to deal with a sickness, or pain, or even to relax before a procedure. The main issue is spreading the knowledge of the benefits of music and showing the public that it can be used as a tool in the healthcare setting. Funding for research would help increase relevance and get doctors used to thinking about using music as a medicine.
Ana Beckett spent many years working with women who were in need. She was often at the piano using music to connect with the groups of women and was in awe of its power to heal every time.
“I mean, they had a lot of work to do, but the music was able to get in there, get in the heart. Everyone just kind of walked into this sacred space just because of the music that was happening and it affected everyone in a positive way. You know, it just has this permission and sometimes you don’t even give it— it just comes in. Then there you are face to face with what is hurting. If you allow it to heal you, it can. [8]”
1. Cheung-Hoi Yu, Albert, and Lina Li. “Not Cure But Heal: Music and Medicine.” Advances in Neurobiology, vol. 21, Springer International Publishing AG, 2018, pp. 283–307, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94593-4_11.
2. El Boghdady, Michael, and Beatrice Marianne Ewalds-Kvist. “The influence of music on the surgical task performance: A systematic review.” International journal of surgery (London, England) vol. 73 (2020): 101-112. doi:10.1016/j.ijsu.2019.11.012
3. Kubińska, Katarzyna, et al. “Does Music Heal? Opera and the Mood of People over 50 Years of Age.” Current Psychology (New Brunswick, N.J.), vol. 42, no. 29, 2023, pp. 25391–402, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-03612-y.
4. Meymandi, Assad. “Music, medicine, healing, and the genome project.” Psychiatry (Edgmont (Pa. : Township)) vol. 6,9 (2009): 43-5.
5. Moss, Hilary. Music and Creativity in Healthcare Settings : Does Music Matter?, Taylor & Francis Group, 2021. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/osu/detail.action?docID=6478671.
6. Abraham, Carolyn. “Music Therapy Awareness Month: Could Doctors Prescribe Music like a Drug?” Music Therapy Awareness Month: Could Doctors Prescribe Music Like a Drug? – Everything Zoomer, 1 Mar. 2022, everythingzoomer.com/health/2022/03/01/can-music-medicine/.
7. Nagamoto, Toshio. Personal Interview. 1 June 2024.
8. Beckett, Ana. Personal Interview. 1 June 2024.
9. Nicholson, Randy. Personal Interview. 1 June 2024.
10. Kreston, Anthea. Personal Interview. 1 June 2024.
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