MUSIC AS MEDICAL THERAPY

Music as Medical Therapy: History, Science, and Clinical Applications

1. Introduction

Music, beyond its aesthetic and cultural value, has been used throughout history as a means of healing. Today, music therapy is a well-established discipline that integrates art and science, with clinical applications supported by medicine and neuroscience.

2. Historical Background and Pioneers

Antiquity

Egypt and Greece: Music was considered a tool to harmonize body and soul. Pythagoras spoke of the "harmony of the spheres" and proposed that certain scales could influence physical and emotional balance.

India and China: Ragas and sounds were used in traditional medical systems (Ayurveda and Chinese Medicine) to regulate vital energies.

Middle Ages and Renaissance

Music was used in hospitals and monasteries to calm the sick.

Composers such as Hildegard of Bingen considered music as spiritual and physical medicine.

20th Century: Scientific Formalization

Dr. Clive Robbins and Paul Nordoff: Developed modern music therapy for children with disabilities.

Dr. Alfred Tomatis: Researched auditory stimulation to improve developmental disorders.

Oliver Sacks: Documented clinical cases of neurological patients who responded positively to music (as in musicophilia).

3. Current Advances and Scientific Evidence

From Conventional Medicine

Hospitals and clinics use music as a complementary treatment for:

Pain management (postoperative, childbirth).

Preoperative anxiety and stress.

Physical and neurological rehabilitation (stroke, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's).

Oncology (improving mood and tolerance to treatments).

From Neuroscience

Music activates multiple brain regions: auditory cortex, limbic system, motor cortex, and prefrontal cortex.

It stimulates the release of dopamine, oxytocin, and endorphins.

It improves neuronal plasticity and functional connectivity, especially useful in:

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD)

Dementia and Alzheimer's disease

Traumatic brain injuries

4. Documented success stories

GABY GELLER (Israel): Stress reduction in neonatal units with recorded maternal singing.

MIT and Harvard (2020): Rhythm therapy improved motor function in Parkinson's patients.

The "Inner Melody" Project (USA): Use of specific frequencies helped reduce anxiety in cancer patients during chemotherapy.

Music therapy at the Gregorio Marañón Hospital (Madrid): Reduction of analgesia in pediatric palliative care with live music.

5. Use of frequencies and recommendations

How do frequencies work?

Each frequency vibrates at a certain speed (measured in Hz) that can resonate with specific parts of the body and nervous system.

Through resonance, some frequencies can induce states of deep relaxation, concentration, or even cellular repair.

Most commonly used frequencies in music therapy
Frequency Therapeutic use Effect

40 Hz Alzheimer's, brain synchronization Improves memory, synaptic plasticity
432 Hz Emotional balance Promotes calm, harmony
528 Hz Cellular regeneration (DNA) Deep relaxation, optimism
639 Hz Interpersonal relationships Promotes empathy and connection
852 Hz Spiritual awareness Stress and anxiety reduction
Beta (14–30 Hz) Mental activation Attention, problem-solving
Alpha (8–14 Hz) Light relaxation Meditative state, learning
Theta (4–8 Hz) Sleep and emotional healing Deep sleep, creativity
Delta (0.5–4 Hz) Deep sleep, regeneration Healing, immune system

Note: Frequencies are applied through recorded music, singing bowls, tuning forks, binaural tones, or mechanical vibration.

6. Practical Applications for Healthcare Professionals

Clinical Protocols: Integrating music therapy sessions into hospital protocols, especially in oncology, palliative care, neurological rehabilitation, and mental health.

Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Music therapists working alongside physicians, physical therapists, and psychologists.

Conscious Listening Training: Patients guided to actively listen to certain frequencies with therapeutic intent.

7. Conclusion

Music has ceased to be merely an art form and has also become a therapeutic science. The integration of music therapy into medical and psychological practice represents an effective, noninvasive, and holistic way to improve patients' quality of life. The combination of neuroscience, conventional medicine, and sound frequencies opens up a hopeful horizon for medicine today and tomorrow.