Music Therapy: An emerging field as Supportive Cancer Care
Since ancient times, music is used as a therapeutic tool in health and medicine. Music, in general, has a significant effect on living beings, including humans, animals and even plants. It can make someone happy and smiling in a stressed-out condition, and it can also take someone to the emotional feelings side.
Music therapy is gaining lots of attention as a complementary adjunct in many oncology programs at national and international level.
Music therapy, when used in conjunction with conventional cancer treatments, it is found to help reduce pain and discomfort among patients; it also improves mood and diminishes stress. Trained therapist guide the patients when as they listen to music; verbally process it; or actively participate through songwriting, improvisation, the remake of a song, or musical performance basically involving them in a creative process.
There is no particular raga or genre for the treatment as taste differs according to people, the primary goal is to improve both the physical and mental well-being of patients who have severe illnesses and are receiving associated treatments.
Music therapist guides participants to learn relaxation techniques through live and recorded music for the patients which increase the quality of life; and allow patients to communicate their fears, sadness or other feelings better.
With an alarming rise in cancer rates and prolonged survivorship on patients in developed countries, music therapy can be used as supportive care to alleviate the burden of symptoms. Several scientific studies on cancer patients are published, which documents and prove the value of music therapy in reducing the challenging symptoms of patients at both physiologic and psychological levels.
Music therapy doesn’t directly affect and cure cancer, but it plays a significant role in the mood of the individual and strengthens an individual’s ability to cope with the adversity of life. It will help to develop self-confidence, self-esteem, creativity and help them relax and express their emotions better.