Music and Pain Relief

We can never deny the fact that music touches people's lives. It heals the sick soul of a human being. Through music, a crying child is silenced to sleep, the troubled mind of a sad housewife is calmed, bringing back the lost moments of romance between her and husband when they have their sweetest episodes of love. Somehow, the music played made her realize to give him another chance.

Funny as it is, sometimes, but music has an intense effect on anyone. Strange, but it is true; it can even affect plants and animals. It is indeed one of nature's greatest gifts to humanity.

Yes, singing songs really has a way of curing a condition. It is a tool used to transform a state of the mind of a sick individual. It creates a certain kind of tranquility bringing serenity and calmness that only a hymn can explain.

Scientifically, many medical practitioners wonder how a hum of a mother can put her baby to sleep. Or the old favorite song of an octogenarian played into her ears put on a smile to her wrinkled face.

At first, I wondered why people turn to music, even to that loud rock music among crazy kids, in order to take a break from the monotony of their respective lives. We all know that melody brings impact to the human brain. That while others find it noisy as rockers pound their drums, we cannot deny that through these loud noise they call music, it actually brings in a joyous celebration and connection among them.

Yes, life is like a musical piece too. It has its own tempo, its own harmony and effect to the listeners. But whatever the classification of music, somehow, we still admire because it is unique in itself, just like every human being, with its own peculiarity to gaze upon.

Today, many medical studies reveal that music is a treatment. It is used and acknowledged to have positive effects to patients. Music is said to lower high blood pressure in patients. In fact many cancer victims claimed that they use music to set their minds into a state of acceptance through music.

Or have you ever wondered why patients who undergo major operations wake up after several hours in the operating room with a soft, beautiful music in the background? It is actually a way of consoling them, telling them through soft music that everything will be finding and that he is surrounded by people who love him. Soft music is food to the heart. It gently whispers the human heart without directly telling him that we care and love him and will never leave him alone in his pain.

Likewise, medical studies reveal that patients suffering from depression and anxiety respond positively to music therapy. Even the mentally challenged kids showed positive and major developments in their treatment through music. Yes, the anger, insecurities, fear and other negative feelings of a person are minimized when the right choice of music is applied to these patients.

Music is a very important channel in order to penetrate the inner core of a human being. Through music, an angry and bothered person changes his mood and he can now accept suggestions.

Indeed, the miracle of music can hardly be analyzed. It is so mysterious that even the most intelligent and wealthy persons cannot actually explain the effect of a soft love song to a mind of a criminal.

When I was then a budding investigative reporter, I have seen a murderer shed tears when he listened to an old love song. I couldn't believe what I saw, a convicted killer crying over a song? It was only then that I fully understood that his tears were the tears of a father missing his kids. The song brought memories of his family whom he defended from a drunken neighbor who tried to harm his loved ones. It was only then that I realized that music touches not only our listening sense, but our hearts and souls as well.

Yes, definitely, music cures the ill. Maybe not in the medical way that doctors understood treatment, but somehow in a condition where music reminds the old, the sick and the dying that they cared and loved by their loved ones.

Truly, I have witnessed this moment when I saw the mysterious but contented smile of my 92 year old aunt who died two years ago. I took good care of her until her last breath. We all know her time was about to come, and she graciously accept and wait for her time. I simply noticed the change in her when her time came nearer each day. She loved to hum and listen to the old love songs played in the radio. The love songs she and her late husband loved to listen together when they were still together. Somehow, I understand now, it brought her back to the memories of love and comfort spent with her husband. I understood then that she was waiting to be fetched by her late husband. Yes, through soft music, her time wasn't spent so much in pain, but in happy and loving thoughts through music, while waiting her moment.