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Music therapy, a form of sound therapy, uses the universal appeal of rhythmic sound to communicate, relax, encourage healing, and create a general feeling of well-being. It can take the form of creating music, singing, moving to music, or just listening.

Using music for healing dates back to Aristotle, who touted the power of the flute, and Pythagoras, who taught his students that singing and playing musical instruments could erase negative emotions such as worry, fear, sorrow, and anger. Writings dating from the Renaissance describe the influence of music on breathing, blood pressure, digestion, and muscular activity. In 1896, doctors dis: covered that a young boy’s brain, partially exposed from an accident, responded differently when different types of music were played. Cerebral and peripheral circulation increased in response to some mUsic; mental lucidity increased with other types. In the 1940s, Veterans Administration hospitals incorporated music into rehabilitation programs for disabled soldiers returning from World War II.

Today, music therapy is used to ameliorate physical, psychological, and cognitive problems in patients with illnesses or disabilities. It is offered in various settings’ including general and psychiatric hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, mental health centers, senior centers and nursing homes, hospices, halfway houses, and substance abuse clinics. More than 5,000 registered music therapists practice in the United States today.

Training The National Association for Music Therapy (NAMT) was established in 1950, around the time that degree programs for professional music therapists were developed. The NAMT maintains curricular programs and training internships, a scientific database, standards of practice, and a code of ethics. It offers a board-certification examination for registered music therapists; candidates are required to have a bachelor’s degree in music therapy and to have completed a 6-month internship. The NAMT also sponsors two publications: Journal of Music Therapy and Music Therapy Perspectives.

Reported uses

As a complementary therapy, music therapy benefits patients with developmental disabilities such as mental retardation, and mental health disorders such as anxiety. It’s also effective in reducing chronic pain and as an adjunctive therapy for patients with burns, cancer, cerebral palsy, stroke and other brain injuries, Parkinson’s disease, and substance abuse problems.

Music thanatology, a new branch of sound therapy focused on psychological mechanisms for coping with death and dying, uses music to ease the emotional and physical pain of terminally ill patients. Therapists say music can reduce depression, anxiety, and pain, and improve the overall quality of life for these patients. Music thanatology is used in a wide variety of settings, including homes, hospitals, and hospices.

At the other end of the spectrum, music therapy is used in delivery rooms to enhance the mother’s feeling of comfort and security, to reduce the need for medication, and to promote a feeling of personal control over the situation. Studies have shown that premature infants who hear music in the intensive care unit are discharged earlier than infants who aren’t exposed to music. In addition, relaxing music played to a fetus still in the womb is believed to improve the newborn’s developmental capabilities.

Research summary

Studies show that music can be an effective complementary therapy for various medical conditions. Music has successfuly reduced anxiety in children undergoing surgery, has decreased pain associated with dental and medical procedures and has improved the rehahilitation of patients experiencing the affects of cerebrovascular accident and those with Parkinson’s desease. patients who listened to classical music before surgery and again in the recovery room reported minimal postoperative disorientation.

Music has also been used successfully to communicate with Alzheimer’s patients, autistic persons, and head trauma victims when other approaches failed. Patients who can’t communicate verbally or initiate purposeful movement need increased sensory and environmental stimillation, especially that which taps into their remote memory. Music provides both psychological comfort and a means of communication for withdrawn or depressed institutionalized patients. A study of Alzheimer’s patients showed that those who listened to big-band music during the day were more alert and happier and had better long-term recollection than the control group. In some cases, music is the only stimulus that elicits a response from these patients.

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There are many considerations that you will have to make when attempting to find a weight loss program that fits your lifestyle. Committing to a system that you can actually afford to stick with is the only way to gain and maintain long-term results. Following are some of the most important points to go over when deciding which options will be right for you.

Honoring Your Current Level Of Physical Fitness
It is important to implement a weight loss program that is not too aggressive for your current level of physical fitness. Thus, if you have not been physically active for some time, you do not want to make a commitment to running several miles per day or attending a high-intensity boot camp training session right off. You do, however, want to challenge and encourage yourself to work past many of your own perceived limitations. Thus, it is vital to choose an exercise routine that forces you to work harder than you have in the past, but not so hard that you risk major forms of physical injury or becoming demotivated in your efforts to lose weight.

Selecting a Diet Plan That You Have Time For
The best foods to eat when attempting to drop pounds are those that are closest to their natural state. Foods that are highly refined and processed tend to pack a lot of empty calories and are ultimately what make people gain weight. This means that a healthy, beneficial diet can actually be fairly time-consuming to implement. It will require the preparation of a number of fresh selections such as salads, soups, lightly steamed vegetables and grilled lean meats. If you are currently living a very busy lifestyle and do not have the time to invest in preparing truly healthy fare, you may want to consider different options in prepared food delivery.

Deciding Whether Or Not To Prepare Your Own Foods
Although having cooked meals delivered to your doorstep might sound like the ideal, it can actually be fairly costly. There are many time saving strategies that you can implement to ensure that you always have good foods that are ready for consumption once hunger strikes. For instance, you can take one day each week to pre-chop vegetables and to grill lean chicken breast and fish. These things can be properly stored and then served as necessary, making it possible for you to enjoy fresh, wholesome meals without having to invest massive amounts of time into cooking everyday.

Some people also have a range of very specific taste preferences that make it unlikely that they will be attracted to the cooking other others. If you happen to be a very finnicky eater you might want to take this into consideration before paying a high price for food delivery services. Along with these things, you also want to consider you available budget.

Restructuring An Existing Plan To Make It More Affordable
It is often most cost-effective to take a look at some of the more popular plans on the market and to find ways that you can restructure these things on your own. For instance, if people have been experiencing marked success with meal delivery systems, you may want to copy the approach that these plans are taking by attempting to prepare similar meals on your own at home. Different bootcamp classes can provide stellar results; however, you may not be able to afford the ongoing costs of these training sessions. In the event that your budget is very limited to this end, it may be best to invest in a DVD fitness tape that will supply many of the same benefits. Making modifications like these on your own will help you to commit to activities that your budget and your body will be able to stick with over the long haul.

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