SOUND THERAPY AND MUSIC MEDICINE: BIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS (Part 1)

Abstract

This article provides clinicians and other medical professionals with an introduction to the related fields of Sound Therapy and Music Medicine, outlining some of the many biological mechanisms advantageously activated by these modern modalities. The umbrella term for audible sound therapies is often popularly referred to as «Vibrational Medicine», embracing the energetic (vibrational) interconnectedness of the mind-body system. The information provided is intended for physicians, psychologists, music therapists, nurses, integrative medicine practitioners, and wellness practitioners utilizing the therapeutic potential of Vibrational Medicine. Since the body is comprised of vibrational energy, a wide variety of energetic modalities are available to support the patient’s physiology, and the article describes some of the many physiological mechanisms initiated by Sound Therapy and Music Medicine, perhaps most importantly, pain mediation, achieved by locally applied specific sound frequencies. Other mechanisms, such as vagal stimulation, are described and achieved by experiencing specific sound frequencies or music via headphones. The article is in two parts: Part 1 provides a short history of therapeutic sound, followed by definitions of Music Therapy, Music Medicine, and Sound Therapy, followed by sections on some of the many biological mechanisms activated by full body immersion in music or specific sound frequencies, including an introduction to pain mediation by sound. Part 2 will be published in the next issue of the «Medicine and Art» journal. It includes breaking the pain-spasm pain cycle in spinal injury by sound; pain relief and anxiety relief by acupressure and sonopuncture; oxygen-driven healing by sound; musical stimulation of the immune system; sonic stimulation of the vagus nerve via headphones and by vocalizations; and last, a look into the future of vibrational medicine.