Sound as powerful medicine

Music was a big part of my growing up experience, from listening to albums on the record player to singing in the church choir. 

Specific songs and genres can transport me back to different times and experiences in my life. 

I knew about the power of music in that sense, but I never thought of it as having the power to heal until a few years ago.

 The first time I really grabbed onto the concept of sound for healing was in an EMDR training focused on working with Chronic Illness and Pain Management.  Instead of using eye-movements or tactile techniques, Gary Brothers explained that he uses bilateral sound during EMDR sessions.  He went on to explain that certain frequencies and tempos can signal the brain to create GABA, a neurotransmitter that helps the body calm down.  It’s one of the body’s anti-anxiety chemicals.

I have found it so helpful when I first learned about it that “listen daily to BLS drums” is one of my most used homework assignments for therapy clients. 

I find it interesting that there’s been a recent flood of information online about “nervous system reset.”  This trend came to my attention through a Facebook ad aimed at therapists who are having physical reactions to their clients’ emotional states.   The woman telling the story claimed that she started experiencing hand tremors when a client raised his voice, and then it started happening whenever there was high emotion in her therapy room, and then eventually that was her constant state.  She claimed that she started listening to a specific sound track every night and over the course of two or three weeks, the tremors stopped and she was able to stay calm even when clients were in distress.  I don’t know if the story is true, but it got me thinking about my nervous system and how my body is reacting to all the recent changes in my life.

So I started looking into the research and there is a relatively large body of research showing that music, and particular types of beats and tones do help the body calm down.

My personal favorite is an article about a study of whether 428 hz music or binaural drum beats are more effective at reducing dental anxiety.  It was a small study, but the results showed that both methods were very effective.  I really appreciate knowing that there isn’t a “right” answer, that I can choose whichever option I prefer and still reap the benefits.

I recently started reading Your Brain on Art by Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross which discusses the neuroscience evidence of how art transforms our minds and bodies.  In chapter 2, the authors talk about energy and the ways that our bodies react and adjust to energy inside our bodies as well as external energies.  In a book about art, it makes sense that the energy of color was discussed.  But I was surprised that the authors also included a whole section discussing how sound impacts the body.

Of particular interest is how music interacts with the parasympathetic system (the system that helps us reset after a stressful moment).

Here’s my simplified summary:

Back in 1998 the Nobel Prize in Physiology was awarded to researchers who discovered that nitrous oxide is an important messenger chemical for the cardiovascular system. 

When we are in fight/flight/freeze mode, our blood vessels constrict which reduces flow to some areas like the skin (so we start to feel hot) and the digestive tract (so we may feel a bit nauseous).  This constriction increases our blood pressure and, in some cases, causes our hearts to beat either faster or in a more pronounced way (the racing or pounding heart sensation). 

Nitrous oxide can come to the rescue.

Dentist office is to anxiety

as

Laughing gas is to relaxation.

(If you have an extra minute, go look up the history of how nitrous oxide became known as laughing gas. It’s definitely the product of a bygone era).

Nitrous oxide helps the blood vessels dilate. And dilated blood vessels bring down your blood pressure which promotes relaxation.

And if you don’t have a can of nitrous oxide hanging around?

A few research studies have shown that certain sounds from tuning forks or even humming (at about 130 hz) can trigger the release of nitrous oxide in your body. 

Isn’t that amazing?  Music, physiology, and psychology all meeting at one beautiful intersection.

———————-

Menziletoglu D, Guler AY, Cayır T, Isik BK. Binaural beats or 432 Hz music? which method is more effective for reducing preoperative dental anxiety? Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal. 2021 Jan 1;26(1):e97-e101. doi: 10.4317/medoral.24051. PMID: 33247575; PMCID: PMC7806348.