Music Therapy for Pain Management
Chronic pain is a problem that affects the lives of many people every year. According to the book, "The Treatment of Chronic Pain," pain is the number one reason that people consult physicians. It is also the most common and frequent cause of suffering and disability that impairs quality of life.
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Music Therapy
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Music therapy involves pleasurable interactions of a music therapist, client and music. These encounters initiate and sustain positive changes in an individual. The musical elements of rhythm, melody and harmony all help a client to improve his quality of life.
Music expresses feelings and thoughts without the use of language. Using music happened before using speech as a form of communication and it can express things that speech cannot.
Forms Of Pain
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The two types of pain are fast and slow. Fast pain corresponds to acute pain and the slow pain corresponds to chronic pain. Acute pain gives a sharp warning that we our body is hurt in some way.
Chronic pain is more complicated and is linked to pain tolerance. Your mental attitude can influence how much chronic pain you feel. Chronic pain is defined as pain that has lasted for six months or longer.
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Emotional Dimension Of Pain
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There are many different theories about emotion. Pain-induced emotion represents disruption and a redirection of nerve activity. Pain is a perception, not really a sensation, in the same way that vision and hearing are. It involves sensitivity to chemical changes in the tissues and then interpretation that such changes are harmful. This perception is real, whether or not harm has occurred or is occurring. There are emotional consequences, and behavioral responses to the emotional aspects of pain according to an article called Alternative Interventions to Pain.
Analgesia and Music
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Music elicits analgesia, the production of endorphins, according to the study, "Audioanalgesia in the control of experimental pain" in the Canadian Journal of Behavioral Science. Music vibrations can penetrate through our skin, ears, bones and viscera according to the article, "The effects of music on healing" by M. A. Stenkler in the Journal of Long-Term Home Health Care.
Conclusion
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The experience of pain goes beyond the physical experience of it. There are psychological, social, and past experience components as well. Stress and limitation from this type of pain can result in the development of chronic pain syndrome. Doctors often recommend music therapy for the treatment of this type of pain. The use of music for therapy should be individualized.
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References
- Photo Credit music image by Markus Götze from Fotolia.com
