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HEALTH
Music Therapy can do wonders
By RAJ KUMAR SINGH
HOW WOULD you react if a
doctor prescribes you a particular raga of Indian classical music for
a disease you want to get cured of? You might think that your choice
of the doctor was wrong but make no mistake; the doctor could be dead
on. The sound of music has the power to do wonders to your body
through your brain and soul. You won’t commit the mistake of doubting
the acumen of the doctor if you come to know how the classical music
maestro Thyagraj sung back life into a dead body by his composition
‘Naa Jeevan Dhara’ in Raga Bihari. It’s a proven fact now that music
can also be used as medicine and the branch of therapy under which a
doctor uses the therapeutic powers of music to heal his patients is
called ‘Music Therapy.’
Dr Ajit Pradhan, Chief
Cardiac Surgeon of Patna based Jeevak Heart Hospital & Research
Institute, has been practicing Music therapy for some years now. He is
a trained Indian Classical singer and is an ardent advocate of
increased use of music therapy in treating patients. While encouraging
his colleagues to try music therapy, Dr Pradhan says,” While
emphatically reiterating my belief in modern medical science by which
I swear and practice, I would like this medical fraternity to ponder
on how central music is, or can be to the well being of a man.”
Music therapy is in practice
since time immemorial. It has been an age-old part of Ayurveda. In
fact, the Indian text Samaveda is full of detailed description on
music therapy. It talks of cosmic sound energy as the source of all
creations and also healing powers of sound itself. The curative powers
of ‘OM’ are said to be very powerful, the recitation of which has
lowering effect on blood pressure. Music therapy was in practice in
almost all of ancient civilizations. In ancient Egypt, music was used
to lessen the pain of women during childbirth. In ancient Greece,
Pythagoras, Plato and Aristotle were well aware of the therapeutic
powers of music. Even Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine used
music therapy to cure human diseases. It is also believed that it was
Pundit Omkar Nath Thakur of India who used ‘Raga Puriya’ to
successfully treat the Italian dictator Mussolini in 1939, when the
later was suffering from acute Insomnia.
The Sama veda mentions that
the human body is dominated by three doshas – Vatta, Pitta and Kapha.
It goes on to say that the disease related to the particular doshas
can effectively be cured by ‘Raga Chikitsa’ i.e. ‘Music Therapy.’ For
example, Raga Bhairvi has been found to uproot diseases like Asthma,
Chronic cold, Sinuses and chest related problems. Similarly, Raga
Deepak is very effective in diseases like indigestion, Anorexia,
Hyperacidity and Gall stones. A list of important Ragas with
respective diseases in which they are effective is given below :
|
Raga |
Disease (s) it helps cure |
Raga |
Disease (s) it helps cure |
|
1. Ahir Bhairav |
Indigestion
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Hypertension |
11. Gunakali |
Rheumatoid
Arthritis
Constipation
Headache
Piles or Hemorrhoids |
|
2. Asavari |
To build
confidence
Blood disorder |
12. Hindol |
Backache
Hypertension
Fever
Liver disease |
|
3. Bageshwari |
Insomnia
|
13. Jaunpuri |
Intestinal Gas
Diarrhoea
Constipation |
|
4. Basant Bahar |
Cholecystitis |
14. Khamaj |
Sleep disorders |
|
5. Bhairavi |
Rheumatoid
Arthritis
Sinusitis, Asthma
Other chest diseases |
15. Kedar |
Headache
Common Cold
Cough
Asthma |
|
6. Bhimpalasi |
Anxiety,
Hypertension |
16. Malkauns |
Intestinal Gas /
Low Blood Pressure |
|
7. Brindabani
Sarang |
Depression |
17. Marwa |
Indigestion
Hyperacidity |
|
8. Chandrakauns |
Anorexia/Heart
Disease |
18. Nat Bhairav |
Indigestion
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Colitis |
|
9. Darbari Kanada |
Insomnia
Headache
Asthma |
19. Puriya
Dhanashri |
Anaemia |
|
10. Deepak |
Indigestion
Anorexia
Hyperacidity
Gall Stones (Cholecystitis) |
20. Yaman |
Rheumatoid
Arthritis
Palpitations |
What Music Therapy actually
does is to produce a network of sound vibrations. The muscles, nerves
and the chakras of the affected parts are contracted when one impulse
is provided, and relaxed during the interval between two impulses. The
musical notes, therefore, promote the flow of blood to and from
affected areas to facilitate healing. It is also believed that the
music therapy stimulates the pituitary gland, whose secretions affect
the nervous system and the flow of blood. Music therapy is one of the
most effective ways of controlling emotions, blood pressure and
restoring the functioning of the liver.
Like all other streams of
medical science, Music Therapy, too, has its limitations. For example,
it can not be used in life threatening cases or in case of organic
diseases like tumors etc. Dr Ajit pradhan concedes that Music therapy
may not be an exact science, but in certain cases like psychosomatic
disorders, music therapy is extremely useful and it has been proved
beyond doubt that listening to appropriate music lowers blood
pressure, stabilizes heart rate, relieves depression, reduces pre
treatment anxieties, lessens the need for seductive and pain killers
(during and after surgery), reduces nausea after chemotherapy and
improves stability of people with Parkinson’s disease. But whatever be
the disease, Music Therapy can always be used as a complimentary
therapy. Current research also suggests that when music therapy is
used in conjugation with traditional therapy, it improves success
rates significantly.
Music Therapy can deliver
wonderful results provided the therapist is fully conversant with the
method and duration for which Music Therapy is to be administered
because the efficacy of music therapy entirely depends on correct
diagnosis and the selection of precise raga for the treatment.
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