The power of music is undeniable. Listening to a favorite song that was recorded years past can take the listener to a special place in time. Music instantly recreates strong emotions of love, lost friendships, or places and events of special meaning.

What Is Music Therapy

Music therapy is starting to become popular by doctors and hospitals for aiding in rehabilitation. Researchers across the nation agree that this all natural form of therapy helps in the healing process of patients suffering from pain, stress, and anxiety. Certain types of music contain rhythmic patterns and beats that alters our brain waves for deep relaxation.

How Does It Work

Researchers have discovered that music from a person's early twenties triggers the most emotions and has the biggest impact on a patient's ability to access their memories. For maximum benefit it is suggested that music be picked from the persons era, genre, and style they like. To gather ideas for making a playlist for a friend or relative by era and genre try the Music and Neurologic Function website. Pandora is also a good resource for creating playlists by era, genre, and style.

How Can It Can Be Applied

Users of music therapy have recognized that it's best to create a diverse playlist with multiple artists. See what songs the patient likes best and build on those. Use up to ten songs per artist but know more than that. Adjust the playlist often and get rid of the songs the patient doesn't like. Repeat this process on a weekly basis until you have a collection of 100 to 200 songs that really resonate.

Digital devices like an ipod or mp3 player are most commonly used because they're the easiest to add and remove songs from. Some are equipped with an external speaker and others require headphones. Most of these portable devices are affordable at under $50 and are easy to use. If your on a budget and don't have a digital device, the library is a good source for checking out CD's, records, and cassettes. A couple more alternatives for creating playlists are internet radio services like rhapsody and spotify. For a small monthly fee (some are free) you can listen to your playlist on computer or mobile device.

Treatment For Alzheimer's

Studies have shown that by listening to familiar music, Alzheimer patients have had a noticeable improvement in their mood, shown more alertness, and reduced agitation. This treatment has proven to be very helpful with the behavioral symptoms most commonly associated with the disease. Even in severe cases, patients with Alzheimer disease in their advanced stages had the ability to tap their feet to a beat and remember lyrics from their childhood. Increased mobility, social skills, and overall wellness has been attributed to music therapy.