Sound Waves

Treating tinnitus
There's not usually a quick fix for tinnitus, but it will

often improve gradually over time. A number of
treatments are available to help you cope.
If your tinnitus is caused by an underlying health
condition, treating the condition will help stop or reduce
the sounds you hear.
For example, if your tinnitus is caused by an earwax build-up,
eardrops or ear irrigation may be used. Ear irrigation
involves using a pressurised flow of water to remove the
earwax.
Read more about howan earwax build-up is treated.
However, in many cases a cause for tinnitus can't be found,
so treatments will be used to help you manage the problem
on a daily basis. These are described below.
Correcting hearing loss

Any degree of hearing loss you have should be addressed
because straining to listen can make tinnitus worse.
Correcting even fairly minor hearing loss means the parts
of the brain involved in hearing don't have to work as hard
and therefore don't pay as much attention to the tinnitus.
A specialist will test your hearing and recommend
appropriate treatment. This could involve having a hearing
aid fitted, and occasionally surgery.
Improving your hearing will also mean sounds you

wouldn't otherwise hear will now be audible, which may
help override the sounds of your tinnitus.
Read more about treating hearing loss.
Sound therapy
Tinnitus is often most noticeable in quiet environments.
The aim of "sound therapy" or "sound enrichment" is to
fill any silence with neutral sounds to distract you from the
sound of tinnitus.
This may involve simple measures such as opening a
window to hear noises coming from outside, leaving a
radio or television on, or listening to sounds on a portable
music player.
You can get specially-designed sound generators that look
similar to a radio. These produce quiet natural sounds,
such as leaves rustling in the wind and waves lapping
on the shore. White noise generators are similar devices
that produce a continuous "shushing" sound at a level
that's comfortable and soothing.
Also available are pillows containing built-in speakers to
help distract you from tinnitus when you go to sleep, and
small sound-generator devices that fit in your ear like a
hearing aid. Some hearing aids have built-in sound
generators for people with tinnitus.
Counselling
Understanding tinnitus plays an important part in learning

how to cope with the condition and manage it more
effectively.
Tinnitus counselling is a type of therapy where you work with a
healthcare professional to help you learn more about your
tinnitus and find ways of coping with it. It's usually carried
out by hearing therapists, audiologists (hearing disorder
specialists) or doctors.
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)

is often used to treat mental health
problems, such as anxiety and depression. It's based on the idea
that your thoughts affect the way you behave. Treatment
aims to retrain the way you think to change your
behaviour.
This technique can be effectively applied to tinnitus. For

example, if your knowledge about tinnitus is limited, you
may have certain ideas about it that make you feel anxious
and depressed. This can make your tinnitus worse.
Changing the way you think about your tinnitus and what
you do about it can help reduce your anxiety and enable
you to accept the noises, which after a while may
become less noticeable.
Tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT)

Tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) is a special type of
therapy that aims to help retrain the way your brain
responds to tinnitus so you start to tune the sound out and
become less aware of it. The therapy involves a
combination of more intensive sound therapy and longterm counselling.

TRT is widely available privately and may be available on
the NHS for people with very severe or persistent tinnitus.
It should only be carried out by someone specially trained
in the technique.
Self-help
Some people find self-help techniques useful for managing
their tinnitus. These techniques include:
relaxation stress can make your tinnitus worse,
so relaxation techniques such as deep breathing and yoga may
help
listening to music calming music and sounds may
help you relax and fall asleep at bedtime
sleep hygiene if tinnitus is affecting your sleep, sleep
hygiene measures such as sticking to a regular sleep pattern
and avoiding caffeine or alcohol shortly before going
to bed may help
hobbies and activities having a hobby or regularly
participating in any activity you find enjoyable may
help distract you from tinnitus
support groups sharing your experiences with
others who have tinnitus may help you cope better
has a tinnitus forum and provides further details
about support and activities in your local area. Their free information line
telephone number is 0808 808 0123.
Action on Hearing Loss
You may also find the British Tinnitus Association a useful source of
information. You can call their confidential helpline free of
charge on 0800 018 0527.
Tinnitus research
In recent years there has been a rapid increase in the
number of trials researching various aspects of tinnitus. In
the UK there are currently a number of new medicines
being trialled in NHS hospitals.
If you're interested in being involved in trialling new
treatments for tinnitus, it's always worthwhile making
enquiries with your local NHS hospital regarding what
tinnitus research is going on.
Search for clinical trials for tinnitus
Page last reviewed: 26/06/2015

Next review due: 26/06/2017
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Hearing problems
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Todays NHS hearing aids are slimmer, lighter and smaller than
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Overview
Real stories
Clinical trials
Hearing impairment
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Prevention
Introduction
Hearing loss is a common problem that often develops
with age or is caused by repeated exposure to loud
noises.
estimates that there are more than 10
million (about 1 in 6) people in the UK with some degree
of hearing impairment or deafness.
Hearing loss can occur suddenly, but usually develops

gradually. General signs of hearing loss can include:
difficulty hearing other people
misunderstanding what they say
clearly
and
asking people to repeat themselves

listening to music or watching television with the
volume turned up higher than other people require
Read more about the symptoms of hearing loss.
When to see your GP

See your GP if you're having problems with your hearing,
or your child is showing signs of hearing difficulty. If you
lose your hearing suddenly, in one or both ears, you must
see your GP as soon as possible.
Your GP can check for any problems and may refer you to
an audiologist (hearing specialist) or an ENT surgeon for
further tests.
You can also visit the Action on Hearing Loss website for
an online hearing test.
Read more about diagnosing hearing loss.
Why it happens
Hearing loss is the result of sound signals not reaching the
brain. There are two main types of hearing loss, depending
on where the problem lies:
sensorineural hearing loss caused by damage to
the sensitive hair cells inside the inner ear or damage
to the auditory nerve; this occurs naturally with age
or as a result of injury
conductive hearing loss when sounds are unable to
pass from your outer ear to your inner ear, often
because of a blockage such as earwax, glue ear or a buildup of fluid from an ear infection, or because of a perforated ear
drum or disorder of the hearing bones
It's also possible to have both these types of hearing loss.

This is known as mixed hearing loss.
Some people are born with hearing loss, but most cases
develop as you get older.
Read more about causes of hearing loss.
Preventing hearing loss

It isn't always possible to prevent hearing loss if you have
an underlying condition that causes you to lose your
hearing.
However, there are several things you can do to reduce the
risk of hearing loss from long-term exposure to loud noise.
This includes not having music or the television on at
a loud volume at home and using ear protection at loud
music events or in noisy work environments.
You should also see your GP if you have signs of an ear
infection, such as flu-like symptoms, severe earache,
discharge or hearing loss.
Read more about preventing hearing loss.
Treating hearing loss

The way hearing loss is treated depends on the cause and
how severe it is.
In cases of sensorineural hearing loss, there are several
options that may help to improve a persons ability to hear
and communicate. These include:
digital hearing aids which are available through

the NHS
bone anchored implants suitable for people who
are unable to use hearing aids and for some levels of
sensorineural hearing loss
middle ear implants suitable for some people who
are unable to use hearing aids
cochlear implants for people who find hearing aids
aren't powerful enough
lip reading and/or sign
Language (BSL)
language
such as British Sign
Conductive hearing loss is sometimes temporary and can

be treated with medication or minor surgery, if necessary.
However, more major surgery may be required to fix the
ear drum or hearing bones. If conventional hearing aids
don't work, there are also some implantable devices for
this type of hearing loss, such as a Bone Anchored Hearing
Aids (BAHAs).
How hearing works

Sound waves enter your ear and cause your eardrum to
vibrate. These vibrations are passed to the three small
bones (ossicles) inside your middle ear.
The ossicles amplify the vibrations and pass them on to
your inner ear where tiny hair cells inside the cochlea (the
coiled, spiral tube inside the inner ear) move in response to
the vibrations and send a signal through a nerve called

the auditory nerve to the brain.
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Hearing loss: Paul's story

0:00
1:47
Paul was diagnosed with progressive hearing loss at the age of 33.
Despite this, he continues to be successful in his job and was
awarded Council Worker of the Year in 2007.
Media last reviewed: 20/02/2015
Useful links
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British Deaf Association
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SignHealth
Deafblind UK
Which? Hearing aid types
National Cochlear Implant Users Association
National Deaf Children's Society
Gov.uk: Disabled people
Are you losing your hearing?
Learn to spot signs that you are losing your hearing and what to do
if you suspect you have hearing loss
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If you're worried about your hearing, it's easy to get it checked.

Read our guide to hearing tests
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How hearing loss is treated depends on the
underlying cause of the condition.
Hearing loss that occurs when sounds are unable to
pass into the inner ear (conductive hearing loss) is
often temporary and treatable.
For example, earwax build-up can be removed by drops, a
syringe or suction. Hearing loss caused by a bacterial
infection can be treated with antibiotics. Surgery can be
used to drain a fluid build-up, repair a perforated eardrum, or
correct problems with the hearing bones.
However, hearing loss caused by damage to the

inner ear or to the nerves that transmit sound to brain
(sensorineural hearing loss) is permanent.
If your hearing is impaired, treatment can improve
your hearing and quality of life. Some of these
treatments are discussed below.
You can search for hearing impairment services near you.
Hearing aids
If you have hearing problems, you may be able to
wear a hearing aid. About 1.4 million people regularly
use hearing aids in the UK, and many more would
benefit from them.
A hearing aid is an electronic device that consists of
a microphone, an amplifier, a loudspeaker and a
battery. It increases the volume of sound entering
your ear, so you can hear things more clearly.
The microphone picks up sound, which is made
louder by the amplifier. Hearing aids are fitted with
devices that can distinguish between background
noise, such as traffic, and foreground noise, such as
conversation.
Modern hearing aids are very small and discreet, and
can often be worn inside your ear.
Hearing aids help improve hearing, but don't give you
your hearing back. They're suitable for most people,
but may be less effective for people with profound
hearing impairment or certain conditions. Your GP or
audiologist (hearing specialist) can advise you about

whether a hearing aid is suitable for you.
If a hearing aid is recommended, an audiologist may
take an impression of your ear so the hearing aid fits
you perfectly or may show you an open fit hearing
aid. The hearing aid will be adjusted to suit your level
of hearing impairment. You'll also be shown how to
use and care for it.
After your hearing aid has been fitted, you
should have a follow-up appointment within 12
weeks.
If you experience problems using a hearing
aid such as distortion and repeated infections that
can't be corrected by an audiologist, you may benefit
from different treatments. An ear, nose and throat
(ENT) surgeon can discuss these with you. An ENT
surgeon with a special interest in ear surgery is
called an otologist.
NHS hearing aids
The NHS loans hearing aids to people with hearing
loss free of charge. This includes free repairs,
batteries and servicing. Many areas now charge for
lost hearing aids, but you'll be told about any costs at
your fitting appointment.
In the UK, both analogue and digital hearing aids are
commonly used. Most hearing aids prescribed
through the NHS are now digital.
Instead of having moving parts, digital hearing aids
contain a very small computer that processes
sounds. This enables the hearing aid to be

programmed to suit different environments, such as a
small, quiet room or a large, noisy workshop.
The type of digital hearing aids available through the
NHS are usually the behind-the-ear (BTE) type (see
below). Other types of hearing aid may be issued in
cases where a medical condition prevents an
individual from using BTE hearing aids. You can also
choose to pay privately for another type of hearing
aid if it's not available on the NHS.
Read more about getting an NHS hearing aid.
Types of hearing aids

The different types of hearing aids are described
below.
Behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids
BTE hearing aids usually have an earmould, which

sits inside your ear. The rest of the hearing aid is
connected to the earmould and lies behind your ear.
Some types of BTE hearing aids have two
microphones that enable you to listen to sounds in
the general vicinity or to focus on sounds that are
coming from a specific direction. This can be
particularly useful in noisy environments.
Open fit hearing aids may also be available, which

are suitable for those with mild to moderate hearing
loss. The tube sits in the ear, instead of an earmould.
Receiver in-the-ear (RITE) hearing aids
Receiver in-the ear (RITE) hearing aids are similar to

BTE hearing aids, but the piece worn behind the ear
is connected by a wire to a receiver (loudspeaker)
located within the ear canal.
This means RITE hearing aids are usually less visible
than BTE devices.
In-the-ear (ITE) hearing aids
In-the-ear (ITE) hearing aids are like an earmould.

They fill the area just outside your ear canal and fill
the opening of your ear canal.
The working parts of the hearing aid are inside the
shell.
In-the-canal (ITC) hearing aids
In-the-canal (ITC) hearing aids fill the outer part of

the ear canal and are just visible.
Completely in-the-canal (CIC) hearing aids
Completely in-the-canal (CIC) hearing aids are even
smaller and less visible than ITE or ITC hearing aids.
However, they may not be recommended if you have

severe hearing loss or frequent ear infections.
Body-worn (BW) hearing aids
Body-worn (BW) hearing aids have a small box
containing the microphone. The box can be clipped to
your clothes or you can put it inside a pocket. A lead
connects the box to an earphone, which delivers
sound to your ear.
This type of hearing aid is an option for people with

poor dexterity, who require a high-powered hearing
aid.
CROS/BiCROS
CROS hearing aids are recommended for people
who only have hearing in one ear. They work by
picking up sounds from the side that doesn't have
hearing and transmitting them to the ear that's able to

hear. The sound is sometimes transmitted through
wires, although wireless models are available.
BiCROS hearing aids work in a similar way to CROS
hearing aids, but they amplify the noise entering the
ear that's able to hear. They're useful for people who
don't have any hearing in one ear, with some hearing
loss in the other ear.
Bone conduction hearing aids
Bone conduction hearing aids are recommended for
people with conductive or mixed hearing loss who
can't wear a more conventional type of hearing aid.
Bone conduction hearing aids vibrate in response to
the sounds going into the microphone.
They can also sometimes help people with no
hearing in one ear and normal or mild hearing loss in
the other ear.
The part of the hearing aid that vibrates is held
against the bone behind the ear (mastoid) by a
headband. The vibrations pass through the mastoid
bone to the cochlea and are converted into sound in
the usual way. They can be very effective, but can be
uncomfortable to wear for long periods.
Bone Anchored Hearing Aids (BAHA)
A Bone Anchored Hearing Aid (BAHA) transmits
sound directly to the cochlea by vibrating the mastoid
bone. A minor operation is needed to fix a screw to
the skull, on which the hearing aid can be clipped on
and off. A BAHA is removed at night and when you

swim or take a shower.
Unlike a bone conduction hearing aid, it's not

uncomfortable to wear and is used for patients with
conductive hearing loss, or in some patients who
have no hearing in one of their ears.
Some people may benefit from newer types of
implantable bone conduction hearing aids that are
held onto the head with magnets instead of a
connector through the skin. However, these are only
available at some BAHA centres and may require a
referral to a different BAHA centre.
Middle ear implants
These are surgically implanted devices that attach to
the hearing bones and make them vibrate.
They're suitable for people who can't use a hearing
aid, but have hearing loss at a level where a BAHA
would not help.
Disposable hearing aids
Disposable hearing aids are sometimes

recommended for people who have mild to moderate
hearing loss.
The battery inside a disposable hearing aid usually
lasts for about 12 weeks, after which time the hearing
aid is thrown away and replaced. Disposable hearing
aids tend to be expensive in the long term and are
only available privately.
Cochlear implants
Cochlear implants are small hearing devices fitted
under the skin behind your ear during surgery.
They have an external sound processor and internal

parts, including a receiver coil, an electronics
package and a long wire with electrodes on it (an
electrode array).
The external processor takes in sound, analyses it
and then converts it to signals that are transmitted
across the skin to an internal receiver-stimulator,
which sends the signals along the electrode array
into a part of the inner ear called the cochlea. The
signal is then sent to the brain along the hearing
nerve as normal. This means cochlear implants are
only suitable for people whose hearing nerves are
functioning normally.
A cochlear implant is sometimes recommended for

adults or children who have severe to profound
sensorineural hearing loss in both ears, which isn't
helped by hearing aids.
Both ears are usually implanted for children, whereas
adults are usually only able to have one implant on
the NHS.
Before a cochlear implant is recommended, you'll be
assessed to find out whether it will help improve your
hearing. During the assessment, any disabilities or
communication problems you have will be taken into
consideration, which may mean the usual hearing
tests aren't suitable.
If a cochlear implant is recommended, it will be
inserted into your ear (or both ears) during an
operation and switched on a few weeks later.
There are currently around 11,000 people in the UK
with cochlear implants and the number is increasing
each year.
Safety
According to the Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
(MHRA), evidence suggests that patients with cochlear
implants may be at an increased risk from
pneumococcal meningitis, especially if they haven't
been immunised against
Introduction
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a talking

therapy that can help you manage your problems by
changing the way you think and behave.
It is most commonly used to treat anxiety and depression, but can
be useful for other mental and physical health problems.
CBT cannot remove your problems, but it can help you
deal with them in a more positive way. It is based on the
concept that your thoughts, feelings, physical sensations
and actions are interconnected, and that negative thoughts
and feelings can trap you in a vicious cycle.
CBT aims to help you crack this cycle by breaking down
overwhelming problems into smaller parts and showing
you how to change these negative patterns to improve the
way you feel.
Unlike some other talking treatments, CBT deals with your
current problems, rather than focusing on issues from your
past. It looks for practical ways to improve your state of
mind on a daily basis.
Read more about how CBT works.
When is CBT used?

CBT has been shown to be an effective way of treating a
number of different mental health conditions.
In addition to depression or anxiety disorders, CBT can
also help people with:
obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
panic disorder
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
phobias
eating disorders
, such as anorexia and bulimia
sleep problems, such as insomnia

problems related to alcohol misuse
CBT is sometimes used to treat people with long-term
health conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and chronic fatigue
syndrome (CFS). CBT cannot cure the physical symptoms of
these health conditions, but it can help people cope better
with their symptoms.
Finding a CBT therapist

If you think you have a problem that may benefit from
treatment with CBT, the first step is usually to speak to
your GP.
Your GP may be able to refer you for CBT that is free on
the NHS, although you may have to wait. Find psychological therapy
services (IAPT).
If you can afford it, you can choose to pay for your therapy
privately. The cost of private therapy sessions varies, but it
is usually 40-100 per session.
If you are considering having CBT privately, ask your GP
if they can suggest a local therapist. The British
Association for Behavioural & Cognitive Psychotherapies
(BABCP) keeps a register of all accredited therapists in the UK and The
British Psychological Society (BPS) has adirectory of chartered
psychologists, some of whom specialise in CBT.
What happens during CBT sessions?

If CBT is recommended, you will usually have a session
with a therapist once a week or once every two weeks. The
course of treatment will usually last for between 5 and 20
sessions, with each session lasting 30-60 minutes.
During the sessions, you will work with your therapist to
break down your problems into their separate parts such
as your thoughts, physical feelings and actions.
You and your therapist will analyse these areas to work out
if they are unrealistic or unhelpful and to determine the
effect they have on each other and on you. Your therapist
will then be able to help you work out how to change
unhelpful thoughts and behaviours.
After working out what you can change, your therapist will
ask you to practise these changes in your daily life and you
will discuss how you got on during the next session.
The eventual aim of therapy is to teach you to apply the
skills you have learnt during treatment to your daily life.
This should help you manage your problems and stop them
having a negative impact on your life even after your
course of treatment finishes.
Pros and cons of CBT

There are a number of advantages and disadvantages of
CBT.
Research has shown that CBT can be as effective as
medication in treating some mental health problems.
Compared to other talking therapies, CBT can also be

completed over a relatively short period of time.
However, to benefit from CBT, you need to commit
yourself to the process. A therapist can help and advise
you, but they cannot make your problems go away without
your full co-operation.
Also, due to the structured nature of CBT it may not be
suitable for people with more complex mental health needs
or learning difficulties.
Read more about the pros and cons of CBT.
Types of CBT
CBT can be carried out in several different forms,
including:
individual therapy one-to-one sessions with a
therapist
group therapy with others who wish to tackle a
similar problem
a self-help book where you carry out exercises
from the book
a computer program known as computerised CBT
(CCBT)
CBT expert
Professor David Clark explains how cognitive behavioural
therapy (CBT) works and who could benefit from it.
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Useful links
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Stress, anxiety and depression
Generalised anxiety disorder
Clinical depression
OCD
Panic disorder
Phobias
Counselling
Psychotherapy
External links
Mental Health Foundation: talking therapies
Rethink Mental Illness
Mind
BABCP: CBT
Royal College of Psychiatrists: CBT
British Psychological Society
Mental health services
Find out what mental health services exist and how to access them
Benefits of talking therapy
Find out about counselling and talking therapies, and how they
can help
Can I get free therapy or counselling?
Find out whether you can get counselling free on the NHS, and
how to access it
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Generalised anxiety disorder
Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment
Self-help
Introduction
Anxiety is a feeling of unease, such as worry or fear,
that can be mild or severe.
Everyone has feelings of anxiety at some point in their
life for example, you may feel worried and anxious about
sitting an exam, or having a medical test or job interview.
During times like these, feeling anxious can be perfectly
normal.
However, some people find it hard to control their worries.
Their feelings of anxiety are more constant and can often
affect their daily lives.
Anxiety is the main symptom of several conditions,
including:
panic disorder
phobias
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
social anxiety disorder (social phobia)
such as agoraphobia or claustrophobia
However, the information in this section is about a specific

condition called generalised anxiety disorder (GAD).
GAD is a long-term condition that causes you to feel
anxious about a wide range of situations and issues, rather
than one specific event.
People with GAD feel anxious most days and often

struggle to remember the last time they felt relaxed. As
soon as one anxious thought is resolved, another may
appear about a different issue.
GAD can cause both psychological (mental) and physical
symptoms. These vary from person to person, but can
include:
feeling restless or worried
having trouble concentrating or sleeping
dizziness
or heart palpitations
Read about the symptoms of GAD.
When to see your GP

Although feelings of anxiety at certain times are
completely normal, see your GP if anxiety is affecting your
daily life or causing you distress.
Your GP will ask about your symptoms and your worries,
fears and emotions to find out if you could have GAD.
Read more about diagnosing GAD.
What causes GAD?

The exact cause of GAD isn't fully understood, although
it's likely that a combination of several factors plays a role.
Research has suggested that these may include:
overactivity in areas of the brain involved in emotions
and behaviour
an imbalance of the brain chemicals serotonin and

noradrenaline, which are involved in the control and
regulation of mood
the genes you inherit from your parents you're
estimated to be five times more likely to develop
GAD if you have a close relative with the condition
having a history of stressful or traumatic experiences,
such as domestic violence, child abuse or bullying
having a painful long-term health condition, such
as arthritis
having a history of drug or alcohol misuse
However, many people develop GAD for no apparent
reason.
Who is affected?
GAD is a common condition, estimated to affect up to 5%
of the UK population.
Slightly more women are affected than men, and the
condition is more common in people from the ages of 35
to 59.
How GAD is treated

GAD can have a significant effect on your daily life, but
several different treatments are available that can ease your
symptoms. These include:
psychological therapy such as cognitive
(CBT)
behavioural therapy
medication such as a type of antidepressant

called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
There are also many things you can do yourself to help
reduce your anxiety, such as:
going on a self-help course
exercising regularly
stopping smoking
cutting down on the amount of alcohol and caffeine
you drink
Read how stopping smoking can improve your anxiety.
With treatment, many people are able to control their
anxiety levels. However, some treatments may need to be
continued for a long time and there may be periods when
your symptoms worsen.
Read more about:
treating GAD
self-help tips for GAD

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Anxiety
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Feeling anxious is sometimes perfectly normal. However, people

with anxiety disorders find it hard to control their worries. A
psychiatrist discusses the symptoms of anxiety, why it becomes a
problem for some people, and the psychological and drug
treatments for it.
UK Clinical
Trials
Gateway
290 trials are looking for people like you to help improve
healthcare for people with anxiety.
Useful links
NHS Choices links
Coping with anxiety
Depression
Hypochondria (health anxiety)
NHS Health Check
Counselling NHS (IAPT) services
External links
Anxiety UK: GAD
Mental Health Foundation: fear and anxiety
Mind: anxiety
Moodjuice: anxiety guide
Time to Change: Mental health support at work
Mental health helplines
If you're concerned about your mental health or that of a loved

one, these helplines can offer advice and support
Mental health services
Find out what mental health services exist and how to access them
Why do I feel anxious and panicky?
Everyone has feelings of anxiety at some point in their lives, but

too much can be a sign of something more serious
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Clinical depression
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Living with
Psychotic depression
Introduction
Depression is more than simply feeling unhappy or fed
up for a few days.
We all go through spells of feeling down, but when you're

depressed you feel persistently sad for weeks or months,
rather than just a few days.
Some people still think that depression is trivial and not a
genuine health condition. They're wrong. Depression is a
real illness with real symptoms, and it's not a sign of
weakness or something you can "snap out of" by "pulling
yourself together".
The good news is that with the right treatment and support,
most people can make a full recovery.
How to tell if you have depression

Depression affects people in different ways and can cause
a wide variety of symptoms.
They range from lasting feelings of sadness and
hopelessness, to losing interest in the things you used to
enjoy and feeling very tearful. Many people with
depression also have symptoms of anxiety.
There can be physical symptoms too, such as feeling
constantly tired, sleeping badly, having no appetite or sex
drive, and complaining of various aches and pains.
The severity of the symptoms can vary. At its mildest, you
may simply feel persistently low in spirit (read about low
mood), while at its most severe depression can make you feel
suicidal and that life is no longer worth living.
For a more detailed list, read more about the symptoms of
depression.
Most people experience feelings of stress, sadness or

anxiety during difficult times. A low mood may improve
after a short time, rather than being a sign of depression.
Read more information about low mood and depression.
If you've been feeling low for more than a few days, take this
short test to find out if you're depressed.
When to see a doctor

It's important to seek help from your GP if you think
you may be depressed. Many people wait a long time
before seeking help for depression, but it's best not to
delay. The sooner you see a doctor, the sooner you can
be on the way to recovery.
See your GP if you think you may be

depressed
Find your GPs contact details
Sometimes there is a trigger for depression. Life-changing

events, such as bereavement, losing your job or even
having a baby, can bring it on.
People with a family history of depression are also more
likely to experience it themselves.
But you can also become depressed for no obvious reason.
Find out more about the causes ofdepression.
Depression is quite common and affects about one in 10 of
us at some point. It affects men and women, young and
old.
Depression can also strike children. Studies have shown

that about 4% of children aged five to 16 in the UK are
anxious or depressed.
Treatment
Treatment for depression involves either medication or
talking treatments, or usually a combination of the two.
The kind of treatment that your doctor recommends will
be based on the type of depression you have.
Read more about the treatment ofdepression.
Living with depression

Many people with depression benefit by making
lifestyle changes such as getting more exercise, cutting
down on alcohol, stopping smoking and eating more
healthily.
Self-help measures such as reading a self-help book or
joining a support group are also worthwhile.
Find out more about how self-help and improving your lifestyle can help
you beat depression.
Read how stopping smoking can improve your mood.
You can read other people's experience of depression in
our comments section below.
Find depression self-help groups

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Depression and low mood (BSL version)

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In this video, an expert describes the various levels of

depression, the early warning signs and the treatments
available.
Mental health and pregnancy
Find out who is more at risk of mental health problems and

where you can go for help
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Help and support for young people
Mental health hub for young people with advice on depression,

anxiety, self-harm, stress, bullying and eating disorders
Useful links
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Antidepressants
Counselling
Find psychological therapy services (IAPT)
Living with depression
Moodzone
NHS Health Check
Psychotic depression
Medically unexplained symptoms
External links
Depression Alliance
Depression UK
healthtalk.org: depression real stories
Mental Health Foundation: depression
Mind: depression
Moodjuice: depression
NICE: depression in adults
Rethink Mental Illness: depression
Royal College of Psychiatrists
Depression: personal blogs and stories
YoungMinds
Charlie Waller Memorial Trust
Do you feel you can't go on?
If you are feeling overwhelmed and unable to cope, here are the
people who can help
Depression forum
Bipolar or not ?
Unsure if I am bipolar, I have depression which can last days, weeks or
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How I feel.
Today, I haven't been feeling myself. Usually i don't at all, but I feel as if
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Hearing impairment
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Prevention

How hearing loss is treated depends on the
underlying cause of the condition.
Hearing loss that occurs when sounds are unable to

pass into the inner ear (conductive hearing loss) is
often temporary and treatable.
For example, earwax build-up can be removed by drops, a
syringe or suction. Hearing loss caused by a bacterial
infection can be treated with antibiotics. Surgery can be
used to drain a fluid build-up, repair a perforated eardrum, or
correct problems with the hearing bones.
However, hearing loss caused by damage to the
inner ear or to the nerves that transmit sound to brain
(sensorineural hearing loss) is permanent.
If your hearing is impaired, treatment can improve
your hearing and quality of life. Some of these
treatments are discussed below.
You can search for hearing impairment services near you.
Hearing aids
If you have hearing problems, you may be able to
wear a hearing aid. About 1.4 million people regularly
use hearing aids in the UK, and many more would
benefit from them.
A hearing aid is an electronic device that consists of
a microphone, an amplifier, a loudspeaker and a
battery. It increases the volume of sound entering
your ear, so you can hear things more clearly.
The microphone picks up sound, which is made
louder by the amplifier. Hearing aids are fitted with
devices that can distinguish between background
noise, such as traffic, and foreground noise, such as

conversation.
Modern hearing aids are very small and discreet, and
can often be worn inside your ear.
Hearing aids help improve hearing, but don't give you
your hearing back. They're suitable for most people,
but may be less effective for people with profound
hearing impairment or certain conditions. Your GP or
audiologist (hearing specialist) can advise you about
whether a hearing aid is suitable for you.
If a hearing aid is recommended, an audiologist may
take an impression of your ear so the hearing aid fits
you perfectly or may show you an open fit hearing
aid. The hearing aid will be adjusted to suit your level
of hearing impairment. You'll also be shown how to
use and care for it.
After your hearing aid has been fitted, you
should have a follow-up appointment within 12
weeks.
If you experience problems using a hearing
aid such as distortion and repeated infections that
can't be corrected by an audiologist, you may benefit
from different treatments. An ear, nose and throat
(ENT) surgeon can discuss these with you. An ENT
surgeon with a special interest in ear surgery is
called an otologist.
NHS hearing aids
The NHS loans hearing aids to people with hearing
loss free of charge. This includes free repairs,
batteries and servicing. Many areas now charge for

lost hearing aids, but you'll be told about any costs at
your fitting appointment.
In the UK, both analogue and digital hearing aids are
commonly used. Most hearing aids prescribed
through the NHS are now digital.
Instead of having moving parts, digital hearing aids
contain a very small computer that processes
sounds. This enables the hearing aid to be
programmed to suit different environments, such as a
small, quiet room or a large, noisy workshop.
The type of digital hearing aids available through the
NHS are usually the behind-the-ear (BTE) type (see
below). Other types of hearing aid may be issued in
cases where a medical condition prevents an
individual from using BTE hearing aids. You can also
choose to pay privately for another type of hearing
aid if it's not available on the NHS.
Read more about getting an NHS hearing aid.
Types of hearing aids

The different types of hearing aids are described
below.
Behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids
BTE hearing aids usually have an earmould, which

sits inside your ear. The rest of the hearing aid is
connected to the earmould and lies behind your ear.
Some types of BTE hearing aids have two
microphones that enable you to listen to sounds in
the general vicinity or to focus on sounds that are
coming from a specific direction. This can be
particularly useful in noisy environments.
Open fit hearing aids may also be available, which
are suitable for those with mild to moderate hearing
loss. The tube sits in the ear, instead of an earmould.
Receiver in-the-ear (RITE) hearing aids
Receiver in-the ear (RITE) hearing aids are similar to

BTE hearing aids, but the piece worn behind the ear
is connected by a wire to a receiver (loudspeaker)
located within the ear canal.
This means RITE hearing aids are usually less visible
than BTE devices.
In-the-ear (ITE) hearing aids
In-the-ear (ITE) hearing aids are like an earmould.

They fill the area just outside your ear canal and fill
the opening of your ear canal.
The working parts of the hearing aid are inside the
shell.
In-the-canal (ITC) hearing aids
In-the-canal (ITC) hearing aids fill the outer part of

the ear canal and are just visible.
Completely in-the-canal (CIC) hearing aids
Completely in-the-canal (CIC) hearing aids are even
smaller and less visible than ITE or ITC hearing aids.
However, they may not be recommended if you have

severe hearing loss or frequent ear infections.
Body-worn (BW) hearing aids
Body-worn (BW) hearing aids have a small box
containing the microphone. The box can be clipped to
your clothes or you can put it inside a pocket. A lead
connects the box to an earphone, which delivers
sound to your ear.
This type of hearing aid is an option for people with

poor dexterity, who require a high-powered hearing
aid.
CROS/BiCROS
CROS hearing aids are recommended for people
who only have hearing in one ear. They work by
picking up sounds from the side that doesn't have
hearing and transmitting them to the ear that's able to
hear. The sound is sometimes transmitted through
wires, although wireless models are available.
BiCROS hearing aids work in a similar way to CROS
hearing aids, but they amplify the noise entering the
ear that's able to hear. They're
Introduction
Hearing loss is a common problem that often develops
with age or is caused by repeated exposure to loud
noises.
estimates that there are more than 10
million (about 1 in 6) people in the UK with some degree
of hearing impairment or deafness.
Hearing loss can occur suddenly, but usually develops

gradually. General signs of hearing loss can include:
difficulty hearing other people

misunderstanding what they say
clearly
and

volume turned up higher than other people require
Read more about the symptoms of hearing loss.
When to see your GP

See your GP if you're having problems with your hearing,
or your child is showing signs of hearing difficulty. If you
lose your hearing suddenly, in one or both ears, you must
see your GP as soon as possible.
Your GP can check for any problems and may refer you to
an audiologist (hearing specialist) or an ENT surgeon for
further tests.
You can also visit the Action on Hearing Loss website for
an online hearing test.
Why it happens
Hearing loss is the result of sound signals not reaching the
brain. There are two main types of hearing loss, depending
on where the problem lies:
sensorineural hearing loss caused by damage to
the sensitive hair cells inside the inner ear or damage
to the auditory nerve; this occurs naturally with age
or as a result of injury
conductive hearing loss when sounds are unable to

pass from your outer ear to your inner ear, often
because of a blockage such as earwax, glue ear or a buildup of fluid from an ear infection, or because of a perforated ear
drum or disorder of the hearing bones
It's also possible to have both these types of hearing loss.
This is known as mixed hearing loss.
Some people are born with hearing loss, but most cases
develop as you get older.
Read more about causes of hearing loss.
Preventing hearing loss

It isn't always possible to prevent hearing loss if you have
an underlying condition that causes you to lose your
hearing.
However, there are several things you can do to reduce the
risk of hearing loss from long-term exposure to loud noise.
This includes not having music or the television on at
a loud volume at home and using ear protection at loud
music events or in noisy work environments.
You should also see your GP if you have signs of an ear
infection, such as flu-like symptoms, severe earache,
discharge or hearing loss.
Read more about preventing hearing loss.

The way hearing loss is treated depends on the cause and
how severe it is.
In cases of sensorineural hearing loss, there are several

options that may help to improve a persons ability to hear
and communicate. These include:
digital hearing aids which are available through
the NHS
bone anchored implants suitable for people who
are unable to use hearing aids and for some levels of
sensorineural hearing loss
middle ear implants suitable for some people who
are unable to use hearing aids
cochlear implants for people who find hearing aids
aren't powerful enough
lip reading and/or sign
Language (BSL)
language
such as British Sign
Conductive hearing loss is sometimes temporary and can

be treated with medication or minor surgery, if necessary.
However, more major surgery may be required to fix the
ear drum or hearing bones. If conventional hearing aids
don't work, there are also some implantable devices for
this type of hearing loss, such as a Bone Anchored Hearing
Aids (BAHAs).
How hearing works

Sound waves enter your ear and cause your eardrum to
vibrate. These vibrations are passed to the three small
bones (ossicles) inside your middle ear.
The ossicles amplify the vibrations and pass them on to

your inner ear where tiny hair cells inside the cochlea (the
coiled, spiral tube inside the inner ear) move in response to
the vibrations and send a signal through a nerve called
the auditory nerve to the brain.
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Hearing loss: Paul's story

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Paul was diagnosed with progressive hearing loss at the age of 33.
Despite this, he continues to be successful in his job and was
awarded Council Worker of the Year in 2007.

Useful links
NHS Choices links
Hearing problems
Hearing tests
Ear infection
Tinnitus
Perforated eardrum
External links
Hearing Link
Mnire's Society
SignHealth
Deafblind UK
If you're worried about your hearing, it's easy to get it checked.

Read our guide to hearing tests
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Signs of hearing loss

Hearing loss is sometimes sudden, but often it's gradual
and you may not notice it at first. Being aware of the
early signs can help you identify the problem quickly.
It's important to spot hearing loss as soon as possible,
because treatment is often more beneficial if started early.
General signs of hearing loss

Early signs of hearing loss can include:
difficulty hearing other people clearly and
misunderstanding what they say, especially in group
situations

volume higher than other people need
difficulty hearing the telephone or doorbell
finding it difficult to tell which direction noise is
coming from
regularly feeling tired or stressed, from having to
concentrate while listening
In some cases, you may recognise signs of hearing loss in
someone else before they notice it themselves. Research
suggests it takes 10 years from the time someone notices
they have hearing loss, before they do anything about it.
If you also hear a ringing, buzzing or whistling sound in
your ears, this could be a sign of tinnitus, which is often
associated with hearing loss.
Read more about losing your hearing.
Signs of hearing loss in children

Babies are routinely screened within the first few weeks of
their birth as part of the Newborn Hearing Screening
Programme (NHSP). However, there are signs you
can look out for which may suggest you should see your
GP to arrange another hearing test.
Signs in babies
You should consider seeing your GP if you notice that
your baby or toddler:
isn't startled by loud noises

doesn't turn towards the source of a sound while
under four months old
doesn't say single words by the time they're one year
old
notices you when they see you, but not when you call
their name
hears some sounds but not others
Signs in children
You should consider seeing your GP if you notice that your
child:
is slow to learn to talk, or they're not clear when they
speak
often asks you to repeat yourself or responds
inappropriately to a question
doesn't reply when you call them
often talks very loudly
often turns up the volume of the TV so it's very loud
watches other people to copy instructions, because
they haven't heard
Read more about your child's development from birth to five years old.
Seeking medical help
Make an appointment to see your GP if you're having

problems with your hearing, or your child is showing signs
of hearing difficulties.
If you wake up with a sudden loss of hearing in one ear or
lose the hearing in one ear within a couple of days,
you should see your GP as soon as possible.
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Useful links
NHS Choices links
Hearing problems
Hearing tests
Ear infection
Tinnitus
Perforated eardrum
External links
Hearing Link
Mnire's Society
SignHealth
Deafblind UK
Your pages
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Editorial policy
Comments policy
Syndication
Privacy policy
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Accessibility
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Choices helpdesk
Press enquiries
Diagnosing hearing loss

See your GP if you're having problems with your
hearing. They'll examine your ears and carry out
some simple hearing tests.
You may also want to visit the Action on Hearing Loss website
for anonline hearing test.
Ear examination
During an ear examination, an instrument with a light
at the end called an auriscope (or otoscope) is used
to look for anything abnormal, including:
a blockage caused by earwax, fluid or an object
an ear canal infection
a bulging ear drum indicating an infection
inside the
middle ear
fluid behind the ear drum known as glue ear

a perforated ear drum
a collapsed ear drum
skin collected in the middle ear (cholesteatoma)
Your GP will ask if you have any pain in your ear and
when you first noticed the hearing loss.
Referral to a specialist
Your GP may refer you to an ear, nose and throat

(ENT) specialist or an audiologist (a hearing
specialist). The specialist will carry out further hearing
tests to help determine what's causing your hearing
loss and recommend the best course of treatment.
Some of the hearing tests you may have include a:
tuning fork test (sometimes performed by your
GP)
pure tone audiometry
bone conduction test
These tests are described below.
Tuning fork test
A tuning fork is a Y-shaped, metallic object. It
produces sound waves at a fixed pitch when it's
gently tapped and can be used to test different
aspects of your hearing.
The tester taps the tuning fork on their elbow or knee
to make it vibrate, before holding it at different places
around your head.
This test can help determine if you have conductive
hearing loss, which is hearing loss caused by sounds
not being able to pass freely into the inner ear, or
sensorineural hearing loss, where the inner ear or
hearing nerve isn't working properly.
Pure tone audiometry
Pure tone audiometry tests the hearing of both ears.

During the test, a machine called an audiometer
produces sounds at various volumes and frequencies
(pitches). You listen to the sounds through
headphones and respond when you hear them,
usually by pressing a button.
Bone conduction test
A bone conduction test is often carried out as part of
a routine pure tone audiometry test in adults. It's
used to check if you have sensorineural hearing loss,
by testing how well your inner ear is working.
Bone conduction involves placing a vibrating probe
against the mastoid bone behind the ear. It tests how
well sounds transmitted through the bone are heard.
Bone conduction is a more sophisticated version of
the tuning fork test, and when used together with
pure tone audiometry, it can help to determine
whether hearing loss comes from the outer and
middle ear (conductive hearing loss), the inner ear
(sensorineural hearing loss), or both.
Read about how hearing tests are performed.
Newborn hearing screening

All newborn babies are offered a hearing test in the
first few weeks after birth as part of
the NHS Newborn Hearing Screening Programme.
The tests helps to identify babies who have
permanent hearing loss as soon as possible so that
parents can get the support and advice they need.
Read more about the newborn hearing test.
Levels of hearing loss

Very few people with hearing loss hear nothing at all.
There are four different levels of hearing loss, which
are defined by the quietest sound you're able to hear,
measured in decibels (dB). These are described
below.
Mild deafness
If you're mildly deaf, the quietest sound you can hear
is 21 to 40dB. Mild deafness can sometimes
make hearing speech difficult, particularly in noisy
situations.
Moderate deafness
If you're moderately deaf, the quietest sound you can
hear is 41 to 70dB. You may have difficulty following
speech without using a hearing aid and may find it difficult
to hear announcements, for example.
Severe deafness
If you're severely deaf, the quietest sound you're able
to hear is 71 to 90dB. People who are severely deaf
usually need to lip-read or usesign language, even with the
use of a hearing aid.
Profound deafness
If you're profoundly deaf, the quietest sound you can
hear is more than 90dB. People who are profoundly
deaf can benefit from a cochlear implant. Other forms
of communication include lip reading and British sign

language or signed English.
Read more about treating hearing impairment, including different
types of hearing aids and sign language.
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Useful links
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Hearing problems
Hearing tests
Ear infection
Tinnitus
Perforated eardrum
External links
Hearing Link
Mnire's Society
SignHealth
Deafblind UK
If you're worried about your hearing, it's easy to get it

checked. Read our guide to hearing tests
Your pages
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NHS Scotland
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Introduction
Earwax is produced inside your ears to keep them
clean and free of germs. It usually passes out of the ears
harmlessly, but sometimes too much can build up and
block the ears.
A build-up of earwax is a common problem that can often
be treated using eardrops bought from a pharmacy.
If pharmacy treatment doesn't work, contact your GP
surgery. They may suggest having your ears washed out.
If these treatments don't help, your GP may refer you to an
ear, nose and throat (ENT) department for specialised
treatment.
This page covers:
Causes of earwax build-ups
Symptoms of an earwax build-up

What to do if your ear is blocked
When to see your GP
Treatments to remove earwax
How to prevent an earwax build-up
What can cause an earwax build-up?

Some people regularly get blocked ears because they
naturally produce a lot of earwax.
Other factors that can increase the risk of too much earwax
include:
producing naturally hard or dry earwax
having narrow or hairy ear canals (the tube between
the opening of the ear and the eardrum)
being elderly, as earwax becomes drier with age
bony growths in the outer part of the ear canal
Earwax can also block your ear if you frequently insert
objects into your ear canal, such as cotton buds, ear plugs
or hearing aids.
Symptoms of an earwax build-up

A build-up of earwax in your ear can cause:
earache
hearing loss
tinnitus
itchiness
vertigo
ear infections
(hearing sounds from inside your body)

in or around the ear
(a spinning sensation)
These problems will usually improve once the excess

earwax has been removed.
What to do if you think your ear is

blocked
Don't try to remove a build-up of earwax yourself with
your fingers, a cotton bud or any other object. This can
damage your ear and push the wax further down.
If the earwax is only causing minor problems, you can try
buying some eardrops from a pharmacy. These can help
soften the earwax so that it falls out naturally.
There are several different types of eardrops you can use,
including drops containing sodium bicarbonate, olive oil or
almond oil.
However, eardrops aren't suitable for everyone and some
can irritate the skin. For example, eardrops shouldn't be
used if you have aperforated eardrum (a hole or tear in your
eardrum).
Speak to your pharmacist about the most suitable product
for you and make sure you read the leaflet that comes with
it.
When to see your GP

Contact your GP surgery if you have particularly
troublesome symptoms or eardrops haven't helped after
three to five days.
Your GP or practice nurse will look inside your ears to
check if they're blocked and might carry out some simple
hearing tests.
They may suggest using eardrops for a bit longer, or they
may carry out a minor procedure called ear irrigation to
clean out your ear canal.
If these treatments aren't suitable or don't help, your GP
may refer you to the ENT department of your nearest
hospital for more specialised treatments such as
microsuction or an aural toilet.
Treatments to remove earwax

There are several different earwax removal treatments
available.
The main treatments are:
eardrops drops used several times a day for a few
days to soften the earwax so that it falls out by itself
ear irrigation a quick and painless procedure
where an electric pump is used to push water into
your ear and wash the earwax out
microsuction a quick and painless procedure where
a small device is used to suck the earwax out of your
ear
aural toilet where a thin instrument with a

small hoop at one end is used to clean your ear and
scrape out the earwax
Not all these treatments are suitable for everyone. Your
pharmacist or doctor can let you know what treatments
may work for you and they can tell you about any
associated risks or side effects.
Preventing an earwax build-up

Some people are naturally prone to earwax building up in
their ears and may need frequent treatment to remove it
when it becomes a problem.
It's not clear if there's anything you can do to stop earwax
blocking your ears, although some doctors recommend
using eardrops regularly to keep your earwax soft.
Don't try to scrape out the earwax with your finger or an
object inserted into your ear, as this this can make the
problem worse.
Speak to your doctor for advice if earwax builds up in your
ears regularly.
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Categories
Health
Alternative
Article
Edit
Discuss
Health
Edit Article
How to Use
Sound for
Therapy
Community Q&A
Binaural beats can be used to

induce relaxation and promote a
feeling of wellness. You can use
them for sound therapy while you
sleep, when you're awake and
needing more energy, or even
when you're feeling sick.
Steps
1
Know how binaural beats
work. To listen to a binaural
beat, you would use
headphones to pipe sound
to each ear. Each tone will
be at a slightly different
frequency, resulting in the
"beat" you perceive. The
difference in Hertz (Hz)
between the sounds
determines the effect on
brainwaves. Here's a
general list of tone
differences and the effect
they're meant to achieve.
Delta waves:
Less than 4
Hz;
deep,
dreamless
sleep
and
unconsciousn
ess.
Theta waves:
4 - 7 Hz; deep
meditation,
non-REM
sleep.
Alpha
waves: 7 - 13
Hz;
wakeful
relaxation,
drowsiness,
REM sleep.
Beta waves:
13-
39
Hz;
active
concentration,
arousal,
paranoia.
Gamma
waves:
Greater than
40 Hz; highlevel
mental
activity,
problemsolving.
2
Download some binaural
beats to try out. Look for
free tracks on iTunes, or do
an online search for other
free sources or binaural
beat generators.
3
Use binaural beats while
you sleep. The easiest
introduction to binaural
beats is playing them softly
as you rest. Try taking a
nap while listening to alpha
waves, or putting on delta
or theta waves for a deep
night's rest.
4
Use binaural beats to feel
wakeful. If you're
comfortable using the
beats as you sleep, give
them a shot while you're
awake. Listen to beta or
gamma waves while you're

at work, and see if they
increase your productivity.
5
Treat illness or discomfort
with binaural beats. Next
time you're not feeling

great, see if binaural beats
can help. A preliminary
study has shown that
binaural beats used for
sound therapy can help
alleviate migraines, stress
headaches, pain, PMS and
behavioral issues.[1]
Lie down and

try
Alpha
waves first; if
those
don't
help
you
relax,
move
incrementally
through Theta
waves
and
Delta
waves
until you find

relief.
If
you're
recovering
from surgery
or
serious
illness,
try
listening
to
short
(20
bouts
to
30
minutes)
of
Theta waves
from 0.5 to 3
Hz
to
accelerate
your
body's
healing
process.
Once
the
patient shows
improvement,
the times can
be
progressively
lengthened
and
interspersed
with
Theta
sound waves,
up to about 8
Hz.
Use binaural
beats
for
meditation.
Meditating
without
binaural beats
can
decades
take
to
master, but a
beat in the 5
to 8 Hz range
might
help
you get to a
calm state of
mind
more
quickly.
If you're short
on sleep, take
30-minute
nap listening
to 5 to 7 Hz
Theta waves.
It might help
you feel like
you've caught
up.
Filter binaural beats with

"pink noise"
(optional). Some people
find the sound of pure sine
waves unpleasant. To get
around this, some binaural
beats are "padded out" with
gentle nature sounds. The
beats are still there, but
they're not as prevalent or
effective. If pure beats
irritate your hearing, search
for "binaural beats nature"
or something similar.
7
Realize that one size might
not fit all. If you're
uncomfortable with a
binaural beat at 8Hz, try
moving up to 11 or 12 Hz
and seeing if that suits you
better. You might need to
try a few different tracks
before finding one that

works for you.
Community Q&A
How well does this method

work if a person is deaf in one
ear?
wikiHow Contributor
It probably won't work, because

the whole idea of binaural beats
is that your brain combines two
sounds. If you only hear one
frequency, your brain won't be
able do anything with it.
Not Helpful1 Helpful1
Ask a Question
Submit
Tips
Share binaural beats by

burning a CD of ones you
like. They can make a
thoughtful gift.
If you find that binaural

beats
really
help
you
sleep, consider making a

specialized bed for sound
therapy. Click on the photo
at right for a diagram.
Warnings
Listening to Theta waves

for a few hours can't
substitute a good night's
sleep.
Your
body
still
needs sufficient rest.
Certain frequencies (they

are different for different
people) are said to cause
great discomfort and even
physical pain and illness.
Do not confuse "sound

therapy"
therapy"
or
"music-as-
with
"music
therapy". Music therapy

refers to the practice of a
board-certified
music
therapist working with a
client (or a group) to use

music
usually
live,
improvised music - as a
means of achieving goals
relating to areas such as
self-expression,
mood
regulation,
communication,
interpersonal
relationships, or reaching
developmental milestones.
Music therapy can only be
practiced
by
someone
with an advanced degree

and
appropriate
clinical
training and is not sold in

a
packaged
self-help
format such as books or

CDs.
Music
may
therapists
incorporate
techniques
involving
sound healing, but the

fields are not the same
thing and it is important to
use correct terminology.
Related wikiHows
How to
Improve Your Memory With

Hypnosis
How to
Choose a Therapist
How to
Give a Full Body Massage
How to
Meditate
How to
Hypnotize Yourself Using the Best

Me Technique
How to
Perform Self Hypnosis
Sources and Citations

1 http://www.mindfrolic.co
m/entrain.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki
/Binaural_beats
Article Info
Categories: Alternative Health
In other languages:
Espaol: usar el sonido como
terapia, Italiano: Usare i Suoni
come Terapia, Portugus: Usar
Sons Para Terapia, :

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It may be the most important conversation you could

having. The conversation between HTSF and your ilness.
The Healing Power of Sounds

Every illness produces its own characteristic frequencies.
By addressing the illness with converse sound frequencies,
your health can be restored.
Read more
What is HTSF?
HTSF - Healtone Sound Formula - is a conversation between healing
sounds and your disease/disorder. Each sound frequency is uniquely
adapted to a specific illness or condition, and makes the process of healing
with sound especially effective.
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Scanning the frequencies of hundreds illnesses over many years has
revealed that each specific illness and disorder produces the same
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in different individuals, independent of place or time.

Read more
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Healtone is the leading company in the field of sound therapy,
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Healtone's sound healing system is considered to be one of the most advanced

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to use Healtone Sound Formula.
Healtone also assists your conventional therapy
Healtone's therapy method is part of the alternative therapy family. If you need
a conventional therapy, or if one has been recommended to you by a physician,
Healtone's sound healing can greatly assist you in the healing process. (Please
refer to our "non medical statement").
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What is HTSF?
HTSF- Heatone sound formulas - are healing frequency formulas,
used by leading vibration and resonance therapies clinics around
the world. These frequencies, converted by Healtone's
technologies into sound, designed to modify and balance the
frequencies of your illness, and therefore the illness itself. While
listening to Healtone's sound formulas your body absorbs the
healing frequencies that are needed to balance your illness, and
the
healing
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occurs.
You could say that

HTSF actually addresses the imbalances frequencies caused by
illness and say to them:"Return to balance. Return to health.
Return to your natural state."
Each HTSF is uniquely adapted to a specific illness, symptom, or condition. Some

HTSF's carry a single sound frequency, while others contain more than twenty
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HTSFs are adapted to over 1,200 specific illnesses, and are suitable for both mental
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Healtone's leading technology allows benefiting from the healing
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device: pc+mac; mp3/4; IPhone; IPod; I pad; Most cell phones.
Read More:
Listen to the sound of your body!
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The human body frequencies
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Matching HTSF to a disease/disorder
Scanning the frequencies of hundreds illnesses over many years has revealed that each specific
illness and disorder produces the same frequencies in different individuals, independent of place
or time.
Checking_illness_friquency2.jpg
Specific frequencies correspond to specific illnesses right down to the DNA .Therefore the
frequency of each illness can be accurately measured and hence balanced by an accurate converse
healing sound.
click here to learn how to listen to the sound of your body.
Healtone's sound formulas have been calibratedSOUND_FREQUENCY_CHECK.jpg, in orde to
counterbalance abnormal frequencies of over 1,200 different physical and mental illnesses and
disorders. In addition, we offer a range of HTSFs for the general improvement of your health and
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Listen to the sound of your body now!
Each one of us can perform a

simple experiment:
if we close our eyes and concentrate on finding the sound that our body
emits, pretty soon we would notice a whistle-like hum, a specific tone
which does not come from outside but rather originates internally.
It can be a continuous sound or an interrupted one; some times it is a
single tone and at other times it is a few tones together combined.
It is no mere coincidence that the nature of the HTSF sound reminds us of
the nature of the sounds heard during such an experiment.We can easily
observe that during illness, or during certain emotional/mental states, the
nature of the sound we hear changes. The reason for this is simple-these
sounds express directly and precisely what is happening in our body and
mind.
This is why it is possible to assess precisely our state of health and the
disease we suffer from and choose the precise response to it.
Read More:
What is HTSF?
ShareThis
Knowledgeand facts
Knowledge and facts
HEALTONE is a leader in the field of sound frequency

healing, and has the most up-to-date knowledge at its disposal.
Healtone Healing Sound Formulas (HTSF) are

based on Dr. Royal Rife's method together with cutting edge
biofeedback systems and proven light and resonance therapies,
implemented and delivered via Healtone's state of the art sound
frequency technology.
Here are some astonishing facts about sound healing:
According to University of Plymouth, Faculty of Human Sciences,

Institute of Health Studies, Taunton, UK: musical vibrations that are in
tune with our human vibratory pattern could have a profound healing
effect on the entire body. Read more
According to the American Music Therapy Association Standards of

Clinical Practice assessments should include the general categories of
psychological, cognitive, communicative, social, and physiological
functioning focusing on the clients needs and strengthsand will also
determine the clients response to music, music skills, and musical
preferences The result of the assessment is used to create an
individualized music therapy intervention plan. Read more
According to a 2009 Cochrane review of 23 clinical trials, it was found

that some music may reduce heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood
pressure in patients with coronary heart disease. Benefits included a
decrease in blood pressure, heart rate, and levels of anxiety in heart
patients. Read more
Recent experimental evidence has shown that laser pulses tuned

tothe right frequency can kill certain viruses.To expedite this search,
Sankey and his student Eric Dykeman have developed a way to calculate
the vibrational motion of every atom in a virus shell. From this, they can
determine the lowest resonant frequencies.
Read more
An article published in the UK magazine "Everyday Practical Electronics"

describes sound healing: "The End to All Disease". Read more
The British osteopath Sir Peter Guy Manners developed a machine that
treated patients with healing vibrations. The machine is placed on the area
to be treated and a frequency is set to match the cells of a healthy body.
Advocates believe that the treatment makes the body's cells vibrate at a
healthy resonance. By the 1990s, Manners had developed a computerized
system with about 800 frequencies used to treat a range of conditions.
Similar therapies are also known by names such as bioresonance and
vibrational therapy. This therapy is used to treat such conditions as
cancer. Read more
Bernatzky G, Bernatzky P, Hesse HP, Staffen W, Ladurner G. Paris-Lodron

University, Salzburg, Austria:
Stimulating music increases
motor
coordination in patients afflicted with Morbus Parkinson. Read more
Recent studies have examined the effect of music therapy on stroke

patients, when combined with traditional therapy. One study found the
incorporation of music with therapeutic upper extremity exercises gave
patients more positive emotional effects than exercise alone. In another
study, Nayak et al. found that rehabilitation staff rated participants in the
music therapy group were more actively involved and cooperative in
therapy than those in the control group. Their findings gave preliminary
support to the efficacy of music therapy as a complementary therapy
for social functioning and participation in rehabilitation with a trend
toward improvement in mood during acute rehabilitation. Reade more
A new
science is emerging that is changing our traditional

understanding of health and healing. The latest scientific research is
focusing on experiments, which are quantifying the effects of energy, light
and information on human beings. Leading the way are an international
team of world-renowned scientists, William Tiller, PhD, Gary Schwartz,

PhD, and Konstantin Kortokov, PhD, with their studies of the
Reconnective Healing frequencies, first discovered by Eric Pearl, D.C. The
powerful and profound results of this research, anticipated to be published
later this year, are attracting the attention of the best and brightest in the
scientific community. Read more
There are many different music therapy assessment tools, but one
particularly suited to adolescents is the Music Therapy Assessment for
Emotionally Disturbed Children. The term emotionally disturbed
children refers to a diverse group of diagnoses includingbehavioral
disorders, schizophrenia, affective/mood disorders, autism, anxiety
disorders, and attachment disorders. This assessment concentrates not
only on the facts of developmental skills but on the quality, content, and
development of these affective behaviors. Read more
Science is becoming increasingly interested in the relationship between

sound and the brain. In many cases, a background rhythm will help and
assist somebody with ';to speak and read in rhythm. Exposure to different
kinds of patterns high range, mid-range, low range, slow tempo,
medium, high tempo can help bring order to their thinking. In a 2001
study, one researcher found that brain activity changes when there is
soothing music, and there is biological evidence that we can actually
remove a great deal of the tension in frustrated children by exposing them
to more soothing sounds. Read more
Read More:
What is HTSF?

ShareThis
Thehealing power of sounds
Search
Search by Category:
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Allergy
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Cancer
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Cold
Colon-Intestinal
Dental
Ear Nose and Throat
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Eyes
Fever
Flu
Fungus
Glands
Gynecological
Head
Heart
Homeopathic/Herbal
Kidney/Renal
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Mouth
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Parasites+Bacteria
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Search Illness A-Z:
Music therapy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Music therapy
Intervention
Power of Music by Louis Gallait. A brother and

sister resting before an old tomb. The brother is
attempting to comfort his sibling by playing the
violin, and she has fallen into a deep sleep,
"oblivious of all grief, mental and physical."
ICD-9-CM
93.84
MeSH
D009147
[edit on Wikidata]
Music therapy is the use of interventions to accomplish

individual goals within a therapeutic relationship by a professional
who has completed an approved music therapy program.[1] Music
therapy is an allied health professionand one of the expressive

therapies, consisting of a process in which a music therapist uses
music and all of its facetsphysical, emotional, mental, social,
aesthetic, and spiritualto help clients improve their physical and
mental health. Music therapists primarily help clients improve
their health in several domains, such as cognitive
functioning, motor skills, emotional development, social skills,
and quality of life, by using music experiences such as free
improvisation, singing, and listening to, discussing, and moving to
music to achieve treatment goals. It has a wide qualitative and
quantitative research literature base and incorporates
clinical therapy, psychotherapy, biomusicology, musical
acoustics, music theory, psychoacoustics, embodied music
cognition, aesthetics of music, sensory integration,
andcomparative musicology. Referrals to music therapy services
may be made by other health care professionals such as
physicians, psychologists, physical therapists, and occupational
therapists. Clients can also choose to pursue music therapy
services without a referral (i.e., self-referral).
Music therapists are found in nearly every area of the helping
professions. Some commonly found practices include
developmental work (communication, motor skills, etc.) with
individuals with special needs, songwriting and listening in
reminiscence/orientation work with the elderly, processing and
relaxation work, and rhythmic entrainment for physical
rehabilitation in stroke victims. Music therapy is also used in some
medical hospitals, cancer centers, schools, alcohol and drug
recovery programs, psychiatric hospitals, and correctional
facilities.[2]
Music therapy comes in two different forms: active and receptive.
In active therapy, the therapist and patient actively participate in
creating music with instruments, their voice, or other objects.
This allows for the patient to be creative and expressive through
the art of music. Receptive therapy takes place in a more relaxed
setting where the therapist plays or makes music to the patient
who is free to draw, listen or meditate. Usually the therapist
determines the method unless specifically requested by the
patient.[3]
Contents
[hide]
1Approaches
2Children
2.1Music therapy approaches used with children
2.1.1Nordoff-Robbins
2.1.2Orff Music Therapy
2.1.3Bonny Method of Guided Imagery in Music

(GIM)
2.2Assessment and interventions
2.2.1Prenatal music therapy
2.2.2Music therapy for premature infants
2.2.3Music therapy in child rehabilitation
2.2.4Music therapy and children with autism
3Adolescents
3.1Mood disorders
3.2Referrals and assessments
3.3Treatment techniques
4Medical disorders
4.1Heart Disease
4.2Neurological disorders
4.2.1Stroke
4.2.2Dementia
4.2.2.1Music & Memory Program
4.2.3Amnesia
4.2.4Aphasia
5Psychiatric disorders
5.1Schizophrenia
5.2Depression
6Usage by region
6.1Africa
6.2Australia
6.3Norway
6.4United States
6.5Lebanon
6.6United Kingdom
6.7India
7History
8Music therapy in the military
8.1History
8.2Methods
8.3Programs
9See also
10Sources
11Further reading
Approaches[edit]
A music therapist from a "Blues in the Schools" program plays

harmonica with a US Navy sailor at a Naval Therapy Center.
Approaches used in music therapy that have emerged from the
field of education include Orff-Schulwerk (Orff),
DalcrozeEurhythmics, and Kodaly. Models that developed directly
out of music therapy are Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT),
Nordoff-Robbins and the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and
Music.[4]
Music therapists may work with individuals who have behavioralemotional disorders.[5] To meet the needs of this population,
music therapists have taken current psychological theories and
used them as a basis for different types of music therapy.
Different models include behavioral therapy, cognitive behavioral
therapy, and psychodynamic therapy.[6]
One therapy model based on neuroscience, called "neurological
music therapy" (NMT), is "based on a neuroscience model of
music perception and production, and the influence of music on

functional changes in non-musical brain and behavior
functions."[7] In other words, NMT studies how the brain is
without music, how the brain is with music, measures the
differences, and uses these differences to cause changes in the
brain through music that will eventually affect the client nonmusically. As one researcher, Dr. Thaut, said: "The brain that
engages in music is changed by engaging in music." [8] NMT
trains motor responses (i.e. tapping foot or fingers, head
movement, etc.) to better help clients develop motor skills that
help "entrain the timing of muscle activation patterns". [9]
Children[edit]
Music
therapy
children[edit]
approaches
used
with
information: Nordoff-Robbins
music
Nordoff-Robbins[edit]
Further
therapy
Paul Nordoff, a Juilliard School graduate and Professor of Music,

was a gifted pianist and composer who, upon seeing disabled
children respond so positively to music, gave up his academic
career to further investigate the possibility of music as a means
for therapy. Dr. Clive Robbins, a special educator, partnered with
Nordoff for over 17 years in the exploration and research of
musics effects on disabled childrenfirst in the United Kingdom,
and then in the USA in the 1950s and 60s. Their pilot projects
included placements at care units for autistic children and child
psychiatry departments, where they put programs in place for
children with mental disorders, emotional disturbances,
developmental delays, and other handicaps. Their success at
establishing a means of communication and relationship with
autistic children at the University of Pennsylvania gave rise to
the National Institutes of Healths first grant given of this nature,
and the 5-year study Music Therapy Project for Psychotic
Children Under Seven at the Day Care Unit involved research,
publication, training and treatment.[10] Several publications,
includingTherapy in Music for Handicapped Children, Creative
Music Therapy, Music Therapy in Special Education, as well as
instrumental and song books for children, were released during
this time. Nordoff and Robbinss success became known globally
in the mental health community, and they were invited to share
their findings and offer training on an international tour that
lasted several years. Funds were granted to support the founding
of the Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy Centre in Great Britain in
1974, where a one-year Graduate program for students was
implemented. In the early eighties, a center was opened in
Australia, and various programs and institutes for Music Therapy
were founded in Germany and other countries. In the United
States, the Nordoff-Robbins Center for Music Therapy was
established at New York University in 1989. [citation needed]
The Nordoff-Robbins approach, based on the belief that everyone
is capable of finding meaning in and benefitting from musical
experience, is now practiced by hundreds of therapists
internationally. It focuses on treatment through the creation of
music by both therapist and client together. Various techniques
are used to accommodate all capabilities so that even the most

low functioning individuals are able to participate actively. [11]
Orff Music Therapy[edit]
Further information: Orff Schulwerk

Developed by Gertrude Orff at the Kindezentrum Mnchen, is
another approach known as Orff Music Therapy. Both the clinical
setting of social pediatrics as well as the Orff
Schulwerk (Schoolwork) approach in music education (developed
by German composer Carl Orff) influence this method, which is
used with children with developmental problems, delays and
disabilities.[12] The area of social pediatrics was developed after
the Second World War in Germany by Theodor Hellbrgge, who
understood that medicine alone could not meet the complex
needs of developmentally disabled children. He consulted
psychologists, occupational therapists and other mental
healthcare professionals whose knowledge and skills could aid in
the diagnostics and treatment of children. Gertrude Orff was
asked to develop a form of therapy based on the Orff Schulwerk
approach to support the emotional development of patients.
Elements found in both the music therapy and education
approaches include the understanding of holistic music
presentation as involving word, sound and movement; the use of
both music and play improvisation as providing a creative
stimulus for the child to investigate and explore; Orff
instrumentation, including keyboard instruments and percussion
instruments as a means of participation and interaction in a
therapeutic setting; and lastly, the multisensory aspects of music
used by the therapist to meet the particular needs of the child,
such as both feeling and hearing sound.[12]
Corresponding with the attitudes of Humanistic psychology, the
developmental potential of the child- as in the acknowledgement
of their strengths as well as their handicaps, and the importance
of the therapist- child relationship are central factors in Orff Music
Therapy. Theoretical foundations are also influenced by the strong
emphasis on social integration and the involvement of parents in
the therapeutic process found in social paediatrics. Knowledge of
developmental psychology puts into perspective how
developmental disabilities influence the child, as do their social
and familial environments. The basis for interaction in this
method is known asresponsive interaction, in which the therapist
meets the child at their level and responds according to their
initiatives, combining both humanistic and developmental
psychology philosophies. Involving the parents in this type of
interaction, by having them participate directly or observe the
therapist's techniques, equips the parents with ideas of how to
interact appropriately with their child, thus fostering a positive
parent-child relationship.[12]
Bonny Method of Guided Imagery in Music (GIM)[edit]
Further information: Guided imagery

Music educator and therapist Helen Lindquist Bonny (1921 - May
25, 2010) developed an approach influenced by humanistic and
transpersonal psychological views, known as the Bonny Method of
Guided Imagery in Music, or GIM. Guided imagery refers to a
technique used in natural and alternative medicine that involves
using mental imagery to help with the physiological and

psychological ailments of patients. [13] The practitioner often
suggests a relaxing and focusing image and through the use of
imagination and discussion, aims to find constructive solutions to
manage their problems. Bonny applied this psychotherapeutic
method to the field of music therapy by using music as the means
of guiding the patient to a higher state of consciousness where
healing and constructive self- awareness can take place. Music is
considered a "co-therapist" because of its importance. GIM with
children can be used in one-on-one or group settings, and
involves relaxation techniques, identification and sharing of
personal feeling states, and improvisation to discover the self,
and foster growth. The choice of music is carefully selected for
the client based on their musical preferences and the goals of the
session. Usually a classical piece, it must reflect the age and
attentional abilities of the child in length and genre, and a full
explanation of the exercises must be offered at their level of
understanding.[13]
The use of guided imagery with autistic children has been found
to decrease stereotypical behaviours and hyperactivity, increase
attention and the ability to follow instructions, as well as increase
self-initiated communication, both verbal and non-verbal.[14]
Assessment and interventions[edit]

As with any type of therapy, the practice of Music Therapy with
children must uphold standards of conduct and ethics, agreed
upon by national and provincial associations such as
the Canadian Association for Music Therapy. In part with this,
formal assessment is crucial for understanding the child their
background, limitations and needs, as well as to create
appropriate goals for the process and select the means of
achieving them. This serves as the starting point from which to
measure the clients progression throughout the therapeutic
process and to make adjustments later, if necessary. Similarly to
how assessments are conducted with adults, the music therapist
obtains extensive data on the client including their full medical
history, musical (ability to duplicate a melody or identify changes
in rhythm, etc.) and nonmusical functioning (social,
physical/motor, emotional, etc.).[15] The assessment process is
then carried out in formal, informal, and standardized ways.
The following are the most common methods of assessment: [16]
Interviews with Clients and/or Family Members
Structured or Unstructured Observation
Reviewing of Client Records
Standardized Assessment Tests
Information gathered at the music therapy assessment is then

used to determine if music therapy is indicated for the child. The
therapist then formulates a music therapy treatment plan, which
includes specific short-term objectives, long-term goals, and an
expected timeline for therapy.[17]
Music therapy interventions used with children can fall into two
categories. The first, Supportive active therapy, is productoriented and can included rhythm activities such as body
percussion (stomping feet, clapping hands, etc.), singing songs
which re-inforce nonmusical skills, awareness and expression, or
movement to music (as simple as marching to the beat, as
complex as structured dances). The second area is called Insight
music therapy which is process-oriented. Activities could include
song-writing, active listening and reacting, or auditory
discrimination activities for sensory skill development. [18] Music
therapy for children is conducted either in a one-on-one session
or in a group session.[19] The therapist typically plays either a
piano or a guitar, which allows for a wide variety of musical styles
to suit the client's preferences. The child is usually encouraged to
play an instrument adapted to his or her unique abilities and
needs.[20] These elements are designed to improve the
experience and outcome of the therapy.
Prenatal music therapy[edit]

Music Therapy can play an important role during pregnancy. At
just 16 weeks, a fetus is able to hear their mother's speech as
well as singing. Through technologies, such as ultrasound, health
care professionals are able to observe the movements of the
unborn child responding to musical stimuli. Through these fetal
observations, we see that the baby is capable of expressing its
needs, preferences, and interests through movements in the
womb. At the beginning of the second trimester, the ear structure
is fully matured. By this time, the fetus will begin to hear not only
maternal sounds, but also vibrations of instruments. [21]
Prenatal music therapy has three main benefits. [22]
Prenatal Stress Relief: Pregnant women may

experience high levels of stress which can negatively
affect the baby. This will cause the body will
releaseNorepinephrine and Cortisol hormones which will
increase blood pressure and weaken the immune system
of both mother and child.[23] High levels of cortisol
exposure in early development can increase the likelihood
of the child later having anxiety, mental retardation,
autism, and depression.[24] Music therapists use music to
elevate the stress threshold of an expectant mother which
helps her to maintain a relaxed state during labour and
birthing process.[25] During a music therapy session, the
mother is guided to listen to her internal rhythms, as well
as listing to the movements and reactions of the fetus in
response to her voice and music. This technique is useful
in helping reduce the mother's level of stress, and prepare
her for the birth of her child.[26]
Maternal-Fetal Bonding: Communication between the

mother and fetus is essential during pregnancy. One way
of strengthening the bond between the two is through
music therapy. Music stimulation helps to develop the
fetus's nervous system, structurally and functionally. The
unborn child especially prefers the voice of their mother.
The most effective way to enhance communication is
through singing. Lullabies are the most popular songs
sung by mothers. Singing lullabies is a wonderful way for
mothers to express their love and have the baby become
familiarized with their mother's melodies and intonations
which will provide them a sense of security when they are

born, because it will feel just like how they were in the
womb.[27] Electronic voice phenomena studies have
shown that the father's voice engages the fetus from feet
to the abdomen - which will lead the baby to start walking
at a younger age. The mother's voice engages the fetus
from waist to head which will strengthen the baby's neck
and upper limbs. Not only does prenatal singing benefit
the fetus, it also help produce endorphins that
automatically reduce the perception of pain and help relax
breathing.[28] A fetus can show preference for music;
observations have shown the fetus's movements are
gentle when listening to soothing music,
and
comparatively, where there are dissonances included in
the music, their movements are bigger and much more
rhythmic, such as rolling. The fetus would be comforted by
hearing
slow-pace
passages
of Baroque
music (Vivaldiand Handel) and lullabies sung by their
mother.[29]
Prenatal Language Development: Music is said to be

the unborn child's beginning of language learning. It can
be consider as a pre-linguistic language that prepares the
Auditory Sensory System to listen, combine, and produce
language sounds. The fetus learns through the voice of
their mother, not only from speech but songs. The sound
is received by the baby through bone conduction when
the mother speaks. The singing voice is said to have a
wider range of frequencies than speech. Prenatal sounds
are important during the prenatal period because it forms
the basis of future learning and behaviour.[29]
Music therapy for premature infants[edit]

Music therapy has been shown to be very beneficial in stimulating
growth and development in premature infants.[30] Premature
infants are those born at 37 weeks or less gestational stage. They
are subject to numerous struggles, such as abnormal breathing
patterns, decreased body fat and muscle tissue, as well as
feeding issues. The coordination for sucking and breathing is
often not fully developed, making feeding a challenge. The
improved developmental activity and behavioural status of
premature infants when they are discharged from the NICU, is
directly related to the stimulation programs and interventions
they benefited from during hospitalization, such as music therapy.
Music is typically conducted by a musical therapist in Neonatal
Intensive Care (NICU), with five main techniques designed to
benefit premature infants;[31]
Live or Recorded Music: Live or recorded music has

been effective in promoting respiratory regularity and
oxygen saturation levels, as well as decreasing signs of
neonatal distress. Since premature infants have sensitive
and immature sensory modalities, music is often
performed in a gentle and control environment, either in
the form of audio recordings or live vocalization, although
live singing has been shown to have a greater affect. Live
music also reduces the physiological responses in parents.
Studies have shown that by combining live music, such as
harp music, with the Kangaroo Care, maternal anxiety is
reduced. This allows for parents, especially mothers, to
spend important time bonding with their premature

infants. Female singing voices are also more affective at
soothing premature infants. Despite being born
premature, infants show a preference for the sound of a
female singing voice, making it more beneficial than
instrumental music.[32]
Promote Healthy Sucking Reflex: By using a PacifierActived Lullaby Device, music therapists can help promote
stronger sucking reflexes, while also reducing pain
perception for the infant. The Gato Box is a small
rectangular instrument that stimulates a prenatal
heartbeat sound in a soft and rhythmic manner that has
also been effective in aiding sucking behaviours. [33] The
music therapist uses their fingers to tap on the drum,
rather than using a mallet. The rhythm supports
movement when feeding and promotes healthy sucking
patterns. By increasing sucking patterns, babies are able
to coordinate the important dual mechanisms of
breathing, sucking and swallowing needed to feed, thus
promoting growth and weight gain. When this treatment
proves effective, infants are able to leave the hospital
earlier.
Multimodal Stimulation and Music: By combining

music, such as lullabies, and multimodal stimulation,
premature infants were discharged from the NICU sooner,
than those infants who did not receive therapy. Multimodal
stimulation (MMS) includes the applications of auditory,
tactile, vestibular, and visual stimulation that helps aid in
premature infant development. The combination of music
and MMS helps premature infants sleep and conserve vital
energy required to gain weight more rapidly. Studies have
shown that girls respond more positively than boys during
multimodal stimulation.[34] While the voice is a popular
choice for parents looking to bond with their premature
infants, other effective instruments include the Remo
Ocean Disk and the Gato Box. Both are used to stimulate
the sounds of the womb. The Remo Ocean Disk, a round
musical instrument that mimics the fluid sounds of the
womb, has been shown to benefit decreased heart rate
after therapeutic uses, as well as promoting healthy sleep
patterns, lower respiratory rates and improve sucking
behavior.[35]
Infant Stimulation: This type of intervention uses

musical stimulation to compensate for the lack of normal
environmental sensory stimulation found in the NICU. The
sound environment the NICU provides can be disruptive;
however, music therapy can mask unwanted auditory
stimuli and promote a calm environment that reduces the
complications for high-risk or failure-to-thrive infants.
Parent-infant bonding can also be affected by the noise of
the NICU, which in turn can delay the interactions
between parents and their premature infants. But music
therapy creates a relaxed and peaceful environment for
parents to speak and spend time with their babies while
incubated.[36]
Parent-Infant Bonding: Therapists work with parents so

they may perform infant-directed singing techniques, as
well as home care. Singing lullabiestherapeutically can
promote relaxation and decrease heart rate in premature

infants. By calming premature babies, it allows for them to
preserve their energy, which creates a stable environment
for growth. Lullabies, such as "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"
or other culturally relevant lullabies, have been shown to
greatly soothe babies. These techniques can also improve
overall sleep quality, caloric intake and feeding
behaviours, which aid in development of the baby while
they are still in the NICU. Singing has also shown greater
results in improving oxygen saturation levels for infants
while incubated than has mothers speech alone. This
technique promoted high levels of oxygen for longer
periods of time.[37]
Music therapy in child rehabilitation[edit]

Music therapy has multiple benefits which contribute to the
maintenance of health and the drive toward rehabilitation for
children. Advanced technology that can monitor cortical activity
offers a look at how music engages and produces changes in the
brain during the perception and production of musical stimuli.
Music therapy, when used with other rehabilitation methods, has
increased the success rate of sensorimotor, cognitive, and
communicative rehabilitation.[38] Music therapy intervention
programs can include an average of 18 sessions of treatment.
The achievement of a physical rehabilitation goal relies on the
child's existing motivation and feelings towards music and their
commitment to engage in meaningful, rewarding efforts.
Regaining full functioning also confides in the prognosis of
recovery, the condition of the client, and the environmental
resources available. Sessions may consist of either active
techniques, where the client creates music, or receptive
techniques, where the client listens to, analyzes, moves and
responds to music.[39] Both techniques use systematic processes
where the therapists assist the client by using musical
experiences and connections that collaborate as a dynamic force
of change toward rehabilitation. [40]
Music has many calming and soothing properties that can be
used as a sedative in rehabilitation. For example, a patient with
chronic pain may decrease the physiological result of stress and
draw attention away from the pain by focusing on music.
[41] Research has indicated that children undergoing
chemotherapy reported lower scores in pain, heart rate,
respiratory rate, and anxiety after simply listening to music
during music therapy sessions.[42] Music has the ability to
associate physiological changes in the body and elicit
physiological responses such as pulse rate, respiration rate, blood
pressure, and muscle tension. Music may also stimulate a calming
effect of the cardiovascular system.[40]
Music therapy used in child rehabilitation has had a substantial
emphasis on sensorimotor development including; balance and
position, locomotion, agility, mobility, range of motion, strength,
laterality and directionality.[41] By using music during
senorimotor rehabilitation, it allows clients to express themselves
and motivates them to learn the active joint range of motion and
motor coordination in which they are aiming to acquire. For
example, clients with a brain injury may lack the ability to initiate
movement. The intensely captivating and attention enhancing
quality of music motivates clients to participate in physical
activity or exercise by easing the discomfort and strenuousness of
the physical rehabilitation and helps the client persevere without
being conscious of the difficulty. Music can be an element of

distraction, allowing the client to transcend into a positive,
aesthetically-pleasing state that is beneficial to achieving their
goals.[40] Research suggests a strong connection between motor
activation and the cueing of musical rhythm. Rhythmic stimuli has
been found to help balance training for those with a brain injury.
Repetition of proficient rhythmic qualities will stimulate
participants so that the abrasive beats will synchronize with
neural activity during a rhythmic motor task. For example, clients
with hemiplegia gain improvement of posture stability, and
consistency of symmetrical strides and regularity in step lengths
when listening to music with strong rhythmic beats. [40]
Music therapy rehabilitation sessions that incorporate active
techniques involve the client producing the music themselves.
This may include the client making a musical composition, or
performing by singing or chanting, playing instruments, or
musically improvising.[39] Singing is a form of rehabilitation for
neurological impairments. Neurological impairments following a
brain injury can be in the form of apraxia loss to perform
purposeful movements, dysarthriamuscle control disturbances
(due to damage of the central nervous system), aphasia (defect
in expression causing distorted speech), or language
comprehension. Singing training has been found to improve lung,
speech clarity, and coordination of speech muscles, thus,
accelerating rehabilitation of such neurological impairments. For
example, melodic intonation therapy is the practice of
communicating with others by singing to enhance speech or
increase speech production by promoting socialization, and
emotional expression.[40]
When having the child actively participate with an instrument, it
is especially important for the therapist to provide them with an
instrument that they can readily and easily use. Clients with
limited physical abilities may express frustration when they are
not able to control their environment. The ability to employ and
operate a musical instrument provides them a sense of relaxation
and accomplishment. Instruments must be selected to provide
immediately successful experiences. Certain adaptions of the
instruments may be required in order for the people to
manipulate them. For example, a drumstick's handle should be
manipulated to be more prominent for those clients that may
have a weak grip.[40] Electric music-making devices have been
adapted to fit the clients limited but existing movements,
strength, and abilities. Electronic devices, such as the Sound
Beam and the Wave Rider- read a variety of small movements
made by the clients and converts the movements into electronic
musical information. The devices are programmed to create easy,
yet pleasing notes and sounds in coordination to the participants
movements. It is also crucial for the client to be aware that music
making is simply a modality for rehabilitation and that their
wellness is not dependent on their existing musical skills. It
provides children with an outlet of expression that they may have
lacked in the past or due to present circumstances. By
accomplishing the production of musical sounds despite their
weaknesses and disabilities, it encourages the client and relieves
their anxiety that they may acquire at the thought of playing
musical instrument without experience. By using such adaptive
music devices, it grants client's the ability to create sounds that
are originally expressive and allows them to experience
affirmation a feeling of capability to control ones own
environment- an ability they may not be familiar with.[40]
Music therapy and children with autism[edit]

Music therapy can be a particularly useful when working with
children with autism due to the nonverbal, non-threatening nature
of the medium.[43] Studies have shown that children with autism
have difficulty with joint attention, symbolic communication and
sharing of positive affect. Use of music therapy has demonstrated
improvements of socially acceptable behaviors. Wan, Demaine,
Zipse, Norton, & Schlaug (2010) found singing and music making
may engage areas of the brain related to language abilities, and
that music facilitated the language, social, and motor skills.
[44] Successful therapy involves long-term individual intervention
tailored to each childs needs. Passing and sharing instruments,
music and movement games, learning to listen and singing
greetings and improvised stories are just a few ways music
therapy can improve a childs social interaction. For example,
passing a ball back and forth to percussive music or playing sticks
and cymbals with another person might help foster the childs
ability to follow directions when passing the ball and learn to
share the cymbals and sticks. In addition to improved social
behaviors music therapy has been shown to also increase
communication attempts, increase focus and attention, reduce
anxiety, and improve body awareness and coordination. [45]
Since up to 30 per cent of children with autism are nonverbal and
many have difficulty understanding verbal commands music
therapy becomes very useful as it has been found that music can
improve the mapping of sounds to actions. So by pairing music
with actions, and with many hours of training the neural
pathways for speech can be improved.[46] Child-appropriate
action songs would be like playing the game peek-ka-boo or
eeny meeny miney mo with a musical accompaniment, usually
a piano or guitar.
Children with autism are also prone to more bouts of anxiety than
the average child. Short sessions (15 20 mins) of listening to
percussive music or classical music with a steady rhythm have
been shown to alleviate symptoms of anxiety and temporarily
decrease anxiety-related behaviour. Music with a steady 4/4 beat
is thought to work best due to the predictability of the beat.
Target behaviours such as restlessness, aggression and noisiness
can also be affected by the use of music therapy. Weekly sessions
ranging for hour to 1 hour during which a therapist plays childpreferred melodies such as Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and
engages the child in quiet singing increases socially acceptable
behaviour such as using an appropriate volume when speaking.
Studies also suggest that playing one of the childs favorite songs
while the child and therapist both play the piano or strum chords
on a guitar can increase a childs ability to hold eye contact and
share in an experience due to their enjoyment of the therapy. [47]
Musical improvisation during a one on one session has also been
shown to be highly effective with increasing joint attention. Some
noted improvisation techniques are using a welcome song that
includes the childs name, which allows the child to get used to
their surroundings; an adult-led song followed by a child led song
and then conclude with a goodbye song.[48] During such sessions
the child would most likely sit across from the therapist on the
floor or beside the therapist on the piano bench. Composing
original music that incorporates the childs day-to-day life with
actions and words is also a part of improvisation. The shared
music making experience allows for spontaneous interpersonal
responses from the child and may motivate the child to increase
positive social behaviour and initiate further interaction with the
therapist.[49]
Some common instruments in music therapy for children are:
Upright piano, Guitar, Xylophone, Small guiro, Paddle drums,

Egg shakers, Finger cymbals, Birdcalls, Whistles, & Toy hand
bells.
Music therapy has also been recognized as a method for children

with autism. Music therapy helps stabilize moods, increase
frustration tolerance, identify a range of emotions, and improve
self-expression along with much more.[50] The visual and auditory
sensory system is responsible for interpreting sounds and images.
With autistic children, if a sound or image is unpleasant the child
may not have the ability to express itself, which makes it difficult
for a therapist, parent, etc. to interpret. [51] Music engages the
brain in both sub-coritcal and neo-cortical levels, which means it
is not critical to think while listening to music when hearing the
notes and sounds. Music therapy, in the topic of austisms
sensory interpretation, provides repetitive stimuli which aim to
teach the brain other possible ways to respond that might be
more useful as they grow older. [52]
Adolescents[edit]
Mood disorders[edit]
According to the Mayo Health Clinic, two to three thousand out of
every 100,000 adolescents will have mood disorders, and out of
those two to three thousand, eight to ten will commit suicide.
[citation needed] Two prevalent mood disorders in the adolescent
population are clinical depression and bipolar disorder.
On average, American adolescents listen to approximately 4.5
hours of music per day and are responsible for 70% of pop music
sales. Now, with the invention of new technologies such as the
iPod and digital downloads, access to music has become easier
than ever. As children make the transition into adolescence they
become less likely to sit and watch TV, an activity associated with
family, and spend more of their leisure time listening to music, an
activity associated with friends.[53]
Adolescents obtain many benefits from listening to music,
including emotional, social, and daily life benefits, along with help
in forming their identity. Music can provide a sense of
independence and individuality, which in turn contributes to an
adolescent's self-discovery and sense of identity. Music also offers
adolescents relatable messages that allow them to take comfort
in knowing that others feel the same way they do. It can also
serve as a creative outlet to release or control emotions and find
ways of coping with difficult situations. Music can improve an
adolescent's mood by reducing stress and lowering anxiety levels,
which can help counteract or prevent depression. [54] Music
education programs provide adolescents with a safe place to
express themselves and learn life skills such as self-discipline,
diligence, and patience. These programs also promote confidence
and self-esteem. Ethnomusicologist Alan Merriam (1964) once
stated that music is a universal behavior it is something with
which everyone can identify. Among adolescents, music is a
unifying force, bringing people of different backgrounds, age

groups, and social groups together.
Referrals and assessments[edit]

While many adolescents may listen to music for its therapeutic
qualities, it does not mean every adolescent needs music therapy.
Many adolescents go through a period of teenage angst
characterized by intense feelings of strife that are caused by the
development of their brains and bodies. Some adolescents
develop more serious mood disorders such as major clinical
depression and bipolar disorder. Adolescents diagnosed with a
mood disorder may be referred to a music therapist by a
physician, therapist, or school counselor/teacher. When a music
therapist gets a referral, he or she must first assess the patient
and then create goals and objectives before beginning the actual
therapy. According to the American Music Therapy Association
Standards of Clinical Practice[55] assessments should include the
general categories of psychological, cognitive, communicative,
social, and physiological functioning focusing on the clients
needs and strengthsand will also determine the clients
response to music, music skills, and musical preferences [56] The
result of the assessment is used to create an individualized music
therapy intervention plan.
Treatment techniques[edit]
There are many different music therapy techniques used with
adolescents. The music therapy model is based on various
theoretical backgrounds such as psychodynamic, behavioral, and
humanistic approaches. Techniques can be classified as active vs.
receptive and improvisational vs. structured. [57] The most
common techniques in use with adolescents are
musical improvisation, the use of precomposed songs or music,
receptive listening to music, verbal discussion about the music,
and incorporating creative media outlets into the therapy.
Research also showed that improvisation and the use of other
media were the two techniques most often used by the music
therapists. The overall research showed that adolescents in music
therapy change more when discipline-specific music therapy
techniques, such as improvisation and verbal reflection of the
music, are used. The results of this study showed that music
therapists should put careful thought into their choice of
technique with each individual client. In the end, those choices
can affect the outcome of the treatment.
To those unfamiliar with music therapy the idea may seem a little
strange, but music therapy has been found to be as effective as
traditional forms of therapy. In a meta-analysis of the effects of
music therapy for children and adolescents with
psychopathology, Gold, Voracek, and Wigram (2004) looked at
ten studies conducted between 1970 and 1998 to examine the
overall efficacy of music therapy on children and adolescents with
behavioral, emotional, and developmental disorders. The results
of the meta-analysis found that music therapy with these clients
has a highly significant, medium to large effect on clinically
relevant outcomes. More specifically, music therapy was most
effective on subjects with mixed diagnoses. Another important
result was that the effects of music therapy are more enduring
when more sessions are provided. [57]
One example of clinical work is that done by music therapists who

work with adolescents to increase their emotional and cognitive
stability, identify factors contributing to distress and initiate
changes to alleviate that distress. Music therapy may also focus
on improving quality of life and building self-esteem, a sense selfworth, and confidence. Improvements in these areas can be
measured by a number of tests, including qualitative
questionnaires like Becks Depression Inventory, State and Trait
Anxiety Inventory, and Relationship Change Scale. [58] Effects of
music therapy can also be observed in the patients demeanor,
body language, and changes in awareness of mood.
Two main methods for music therapy are group meetings and
one-one sessions. Group music therapy can include group
discussions concerning moods and emotions in or toward music,
songwriting, and musical improvisation. Groups emphasizing
mood recognition and awareness, group cohesion, and
improvement in self-esteem can be effective in working with
adolescents.[59][60] Group therapy, however, is not always the
best choice for the client. Ongoing one-on-one music therapy has
also been shown to be effective. One-on-one music therapy
provides a non-invasive, non-judgmental environment,
encouraging clients to show capacities that may be hidden in
group situations.
Music Therapy in which clients play musical instruments directly,
show very promising results. Specifically, playing wind
instruments strengthens oral and respiratory muscles, sound
vocalization, articulation, and improves breath support.
[61] Symbolic Communication Training Through Music is also an
important technique in playing instruments in music therapy,
because this makes communication (verbally and non verbally)
improved in social situations. Most importantly, is that music
provides a time cue for the body to remain regulated. [62] Making
music is also important for people of all ages because it causes
motivation, increases "psychomotor" activity, causes an
individual to identify with a group (in group music), regulates
breathing, improves organizational skills, and increases
coordination.[63]
Though more research needs to be done to ascertain the effect of
music therapy on adolescents with mood disorders, most
research has shown positive effects.
Medical disorders[edit]
Heart Disease[edit]
According to a 2009 Cochrane review some music may reduce
heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure in those
with coronary heart disease.[64] Music does not appear to have
much effect on psychological distress. "The quality of the
evidence is not strong and the clinical significance unclear".
Research indicates that listening to music, whether a Mozart
concerto or a song from the popular music charts, has been found
to lower blood pressure, improve heart rate variability and can
help to de-stress.[65]
Neurological disorders[edit]
The use of music therapy in treating mental and neurological

disorders is on the rise. Music therapy has shown effectiveness in
treating symptoms of many disorders,
including schizophrenia, amnesia, dementia and Alzheimer's, Park
inson's disease, mood disorders such as depression, aphasia and
similar speech disorders, and Tourettes syndrome, among others.
[66]
While music therapy has been used for many years, up until the
mid-1980s little empirical research had been done to support the
efficacy of the treatment. Since then, more research has focused
on determining both the effectiveness and the underlying
physiological mechanisms leading to symptom improvement. For
example, one meta-study covering 177 patients (over 9 studies)
showed a significant effect on many negative symptoms
of psychopathologies, particularly in developmental
and behavioral disorders. Music therapy was especially effective
in improving focus and attention, and in decreasing negative
symptoms like anxietyand isolation.[67]
The following sections will discuss the uses and effectiveness of
music therapy in the treatment of specific pathologies.
Stroke[edit]
Music has been shown to affect portions of the brain. One reason
for the effectiveness of music therapy for stroke victims is the
capacity of music to affect emotions and social interactions.
Research by Nayak et al. showed that music therapy is associated
with a decrease in depression, improved mood, and a reduction in
stateanxiety.[68] Both descriptive and experimental studies have
documented effects of music on quality of life, involvement with
the environment, expression of feelings, awareness and
responsiveness, positive associations, and socialization.
[69] Additionally, Nayak et al. found that music therapy had a
positive effect on social and behavioral outcomes and showed
some encouraging trends with respect to mood.[68]
More recent research suggests that music can increase a patient's
motivation and positive emotions.[68][70][71] Current research
also suggests that when music therapy is used in conjunction with
traditional therapy it improves success rates significantly. [72][73]
[74] Therefore, it is hypothesized that music therapy helps a
victim of stroke recover faster and with more success by
increasing the patient's positive emotions and motivation,
allowing him or her to be more successful and feel more driven to
participate in traditional therapies.
Recent studies have examined the effect of music therapy on
stroke patients when combined with traditional therapy. One
study found the incorporation of music with therapeutic upper
extremity exercises gave patients more positive emotional effects
than exercise alone.[72] In another study, Nayak et al. found that
rehabilitation staff rated participants in the music therapy group
more actively involved and cooperative in therapy than those in
the control group.[68] Their findings gave preliminary support to
the efficacy of music therapy as a complementary therapy for
social functioning and participation in rehabilitation with a trend
toward improvement in mood during acute rehabilitation.
Current research shows that when music therapy is used in
conjunction with traditional therapy, it improves rates of recovery
and emotional and social deficits resulting from stroke. [68][72][73]

[74][75][76] A study by Jeong & Kim examined the impact of music
therapy when combined with traditional stroke therapy in a
community-based rehabilitation program.[75] Thirty-three stroke
survivors were randomized into one of two groups: the
experimental group, which combined rhythmic music and
specialized rehabilitation movement for eight weeks; and a
control group that sought and received traditional therapy. The
results of this study showed that participants in the experimental
group gained not only more flexibility and wider range of motion,
but an increased frequency and quality of social interactions and
positive mood.[75]
Music has proven useful in the recovery of motor skills.
Rhythmical auditory stimulation in a musical context in
combination with traditional gait therapy improved the ability of
stroke patients to walk.[73] The study consisted of two treatment
conditions, one which received traditional gait therapy and
another which received the gait therapy in combination with the
rhythmical auditory stimulation. During the rhythmical auditory
stimulation, stimulation was played back measure by measure,
and was initiated by the patient's heel-strikes. Each condition
received fifteen sessions of therapy. The results revealed that the
rhythmical auditory stimulation group showed more improvement
in stride length, symmetry deviation, walking speed and rollover
path length (all indicators for improved walking gait) than the
group that received traditional therapy alone.[73]
Schneider et al. also studied the effects of combining music
therapy with standard motor rehabilitation methods.[74] In this
experiment, researchers recruited stroke patients without prior
musical experience and trained half of them in an intensive step
by step training program that occurred fifteen times over three
weeks, in addition to traditional treatment. These participants
were trained to use both fine and gross motor movements by
learning how to use the piano and drums. The other half of the
patients received only traditional treatment over the course of the
three weeks. Three-dimensional movement analysis and clinical
motor tests showed participants who received the additional
music therapy had significantly better speed, precision, and
smoothness of movement as compared to the control subjects.
Participants who received music therapy also showed a significant
improvement in every-day motor activities as compared to the
control group.[74] Wilson, Parsons, & Reutens looked at the effect
of melodic intonation therapy (MIT) on speech production in a
male singer with severe Broca's aphasia.[76] In this study, thirty
novel phrases were taught in three conditions: unrehearsed,
rehearsed verbal production (repetition), or rehearsed verbal
production with melody (MIT). Results showed that phrases
taught in the MIT condition had superior production, and that
compared to rehearsal, effects of MIT lasted longer.
Another study examined the incorporation of music with
therapeutic upper extremity exercises on pain perception in
stroke victims.[72] Over the course of eight weeks, stroke victims
participated in upper extremity exercises (of the hand, wrist, and
shoulder joints) in conjunction with one of the three conditions:
song, karaoke accompaniment, and no music. Patients
participated in each condition once, according to a randomized
order, and rated their perceived pain immediately after the
session. Results showed that although there was no significant
difference in pain rating across the conditions, video observations
revealed more positive affect and verbal responses while
performing upper extremity exercises with both music and
karaoke accompaniment.[72] Nayak et al.[68] examined the

combination of music therapy with traditional stroke rehabilitation
and also found that the addition of music therapy improved mood
and social interaction. Participants who had suffered traumatic
brain injury or stroke were placed in one of two conditions:
standard rehabilitation or standard rehabilitation along with music
therapy. Participants received three treatments per week for up to
ten treatments. Therapists found that participants who received
music therapy in conjunction with traditional methods had
improved social interaction and mood.
Dementia[edit]
Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia are among the
disorders most commonly treated with music therapy. Like many
of the other disorders mentioned, some of the most common
significant effects are seen in social behaviors, leading to
improvements in interaction, conversation, and other such skills.
A meta-study of over 330 subjects showed music therapy
produces highly significant improvements to social behaviors,
overt behaviors like wandering and restlessness, reductions in
agitated behaviors, and improvements to cognitive defects,
measured with reality orientation and face recognition tests.
[77] As with many studies of MTs effectiveness, these positive
effects on Alzheimer's and other dementias are not homogeneous
among all studies. The effectiveness of the treatment seems to
be strongly dependent on the patient, the quality and length of
treatment, and other similar factors. [78]
Another meta-study examined the proposed neurological
mechanisms behind music therapys effects on these patients.
Many authors suspect that music has a soothing effect on the
patient by affecting how noise is perceived: music renders noise
familiar, or buffers the patient from overwhelming or extraneous
noise in their environment. Others suggest that music serves as a
sort of mediator for social interactions, providing a vessel through
which to interact with others without requiring much cognitive
load.[78] Because Music has the ability to access multiple parts of
the brain, music therapy is highly effective in providing
therapeutic support for individuals with all types of dementia.
Research indicates that the sections of the brain weakened by
dementia can be supported and in some cases strengthened by
other areas of the brain through musical activities. Musical ability
and awareness is also one of the last functions to be
compromised in an individual with dementia, which makes it an
especially effective intervention, even in people with very late
stage forms of the disease.[79] Music therapy is more than simply
listening to or playing music. Through the use of evidence based
interventions and clinical assessments, a music therapist works to
improve the lives and abilities of individuals. These interventions
can decrease anxiety, improve speech and self- expression, and a
decrease in negative behaviors and isolation which are commonly
found in individuals with dementia.[80] Common negative
behaviors that correspond with dementia are depression and
agitation. According to Dr. Mary S. Mittelman, the director of
psychosocial research at Langone Medical Center, music therapy
helped to decrease both of these negative substantially. The
reason for this is because in the brain, the parts corresponding to
music are preserved even through the effects of dementia. Due to
these being preserved, residents who live their lives in a blur, find
some clarity and familiarity through music. Thus creating lower
levels of stress and agitation. [81]
Music & Memory Program[edit]

The Music & Memory Program was developed by Dan Cohen who
is the current executive director for the non-profit organization.
The program began after Cohen spent time at a nursing home
in New York, where he provided the residents with iPods and
playlists. The program was so successful that the Shelley &
Donald Rubin Foundation funded the program in 2008 resulting in
that Cohen could test his method on a wider scale. In 2010, the
Music & Memory Program became an official non-profit
organization, which then led to a documentary two years later
based on the Music & Memory Program called Alive Inside: A
Story of Music and Memory, which gave the program more
attention. Mainly because a clip from the documentary showed a
patient awakening from alzhimer by listening to songs from his
era such as Cab Calloway. Once the documentary was
previewed, Alive Inside gained at least 11 millions views, which
gave awareness to the program and treatments.
In 2013, Wisconsin's Department of Health Science have been
noticing the effects the Music & Memory Program has on the
patients, and so the department commenced the Wisconsin Music
& Memory Initiative, which allowed 100 nursing
home within Wisconsin to be Music & Memory Certified Care
Facilities. A year later, an additional 150 facilities gained
certification training. Within time, other states took part in
broadening the program and opened more services to the Music
& Memory Program such as adult day care, assisted living,
hospital, home health care, and serving individuals in hospice
care.
The Music & Memory Program was not just known in the United
States, but other countries such as Canada and Europe were
intrigued by the idea of music bringing patients back to
themselves mentally. In January 2014, the documentary, Alive
Inside had won the Audience Award for U.S. Documentaries,
which was screened atthe Sundance Film Festival. Alive
Inside continues to gain more recognition that it has been
released across the United States and continues to gain more
awards.[82]
Amnesia[edit]
Some symptoms of amnesia have been shown to be alleviated
through various interactions with music, including playing and
listening. One such case is that ofClive Wearing, whose severe
retrograde and anterograde amnesia have been detailed in the
documentaries Prisoner of Consciousness and The Man with the 7
Second Memory. Though unable to recall past memories or form
new ones, Wearing is still able to play, conduct, and sing along
with music learned prior to the onset of his amnesia, and even
add improvisations and flourishes.[83]
Wearings case reinforces the theory that episodic
memory fundamentally differs from procedural or semantic
memory. Sacks suggests that while Wearing is completely unable
to recall events or episodes, musical performance (and
the muscle memory involved) are a form of procedural memory
that is not typically hindered in amnesia cases [Sacks]. Indeed,
there is evidence that while episodic memory is reliant on
the hippocampal formation, amnesiacs with damage to this area
can show a loss of episodic memory accompanied by (partially)

intact semantic memory.[84]
Aphasia[edit]
Melodic intonation therapy (MIT) is a commonly used method of
treating aphasias, particularly those involving speech deficits (as
opposed to reading or writing). MIT is a multi-stage treatment
that involves committing words and speech rhythm to memory by
incorporating them into song. The musical and rhythmic aspects
are then separated from the speech and phased out, until the
patient can speak normally. This method has slight variations
between adult patients and child patients, but both follow the
same basic structure.
While MIT is a commonly used therapy, research supporting its
effectiveness is lacking. Some recent research suggests that the
therapys efficacy may stem more from the rhythmic components
of the treatment rather than the melodic aspects. [85]
Psychiatric disorders[edit]
Schizophrenia[edit]
Music therapy is used with schizophrenic patients to ameliorate
many of the symptoms of the disorder. The music is at times
chosen by the client, or by the music therapist based on the
clients reciprocation to the music.[86] Individual studies of
patients undergoing music therapy showed diminished negative
symptoms such asflattened affect, speech issues,
and anhedonia and improved social symptoms such as increased
conversation ability, reduced social isolation, and increased
interest in external events.[87]
Meta-studies have confirmed many of these results, showing that
music therapy in conjunction with standard care to be superior to
standard care alone. Improvements were seen in negative
symptoms, general mental state, depression, anxiety, and even
cognitive functioning. These meta-studies have also shown,
however, that these results can be inconsistent and that they
depend heavily on both the quality and number of therapy
sessions.[88]
Depression[edit]
Music therapy has been found to have numerous significant
outcomes for patients with major depressive disorder. A
systematic review of five randomized trials found that people with
depression generally accepted music therapy and was found to
produce improvements in mood when compared to standard
therapy.[89]Another study showed that MDD patients were better
able to express their emotional states while listening to sad music
than while listening to no music or to happy, angry, or scary
music. The authors found that this therapy helped patients
overcome verbal barriers to expressing emotion, which can assist
therapists in successfully guiding treatment. [90]
Other studies have provided insight into the physiological
interactions between music therapy and depression. Music has
been shown to decrease significantly the levels of the stress
hormone cortisol, leading to improved affect, mood and cognitive

functioning. A study also found that music led to a shift in frontal
lobe activity (as measured by EEG) in depressed adolescents.
Music was shown to shift activity from the right frontal lobe to the
left, a phenomenon associated with positive affect and mood. [91]
Usage by region[edit]
Africa[edit]
In 1999, the first program for music therapy in Africa opened in
Pretoria, South Africa. Research has shown that in Tanzania
patients can receive palliative care for life-threatening illnesses
directly after the diagnosis of these illnesses. This is different
from many Western countries, because they reserve palliative
care for patients who have an incurable illness. Music is also
viewed differently between Africa and Western countries. In
Western countries and a majority of other countries throughout
the world, music is traditionally seen as entertainment whereas in
many African cultures, music is used in recounting stories,
celebrating life events, or sending messages.[92]
Australia[edit]
This section
requires expansion.(June 2011)
In Australia in 1949, music therapy (not clinical music therapy as
understood today) was started through concerts organized by the
Australian Red Cross along with a Red Cross Music Therapy
Committee. The key Australian body, the Australian Music
Therapy Association (AMTA), was founded in 1975.
Norway[edit]
Norway is widely recognised as an important country for music
therapy research. Its two major research centres are the Center
for Music and Health[93] with theNorwegian Academy of
Music in Oslo, and the Grieg Academy Centre for Music Therapy
(GAMUT),[94] at University of Bergen. The former was mostly
developed by professor Even Ruud, while professor Brynjulf Stige
is largely responsible for cultivating the latter. The centre
in Bergen has 18 staff, including 2 professors and 4 associate
professors, as well as lecturers and PhD students. Two of the
fields major international research journals are based in
Bergen: Nordic Journal for Music Therapy[95] and Voices: A World
Forum for Music Therapy.[96] Norways main contribution to the
field is mostly in the area of "community music therapy", which
tends to be as much oriented toward social work as
individual psychotherapy, and music therapy research from this
country uses a wide variety of methods to examine diverse
methods across an array of social contexts, including community
centres, medical clinics, retirement homes, and prisons.
United States[edit]
Music therapy has existed in its current form in the United
States since 1944 when the first undergraduate degree program
in the world was begun at Michigan State University and the first
graduate degree program was established at the University of
Kansas. The American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) was
founded in 1998 as a merger between the National Association
for Music Therapy (NAMT, founded in 1950) and the American
Association for Music Therapy (AAMT, founded in 1971).
Numerous other national organizations exist, such as the Institute
for Music and Neurologic Function, Nordoff-Robbins Center For
Music Therapy, and the Association for Music and Imagery. Music
therapists use ideas from different disciplines such as speech and
language, physical therapy, medicine,nursing, and education.
A music therapy degree candidate can earn an undergraduate,
master's or doctoral degree in music therapy. Many AMTA
approved programs offer equivalency and certificate degrees in
music therapy for students that have completed a degree in a
related field. Some practicing music therapists have held PhDs in
fields other than, but usually related to, music therapy. Recently,
Temple University established a PhD program in music therapy. A
music therapist typically incorporates music therapy techniques
with broader clinical practices such as psychotherapy,
rehabilitation, and other practices depending on client needs.
Music therapy services rendered within the context of a social
service, educational, or health care agency are often
reimbursable by insurance and sources of funding for individuals
with certain needs. Music therapy services have been identified
as reimbursable under Medicaid, Medicare, private insurance
plans and federal and state government programs.
A degree in music therapy requires proficiency in guitar, piano,
voice, music theory, music history, reading music, improvisation,
as well as varying levels of skill in assessment, documentation,
and other counseling and health care skills depending on the
focus of the particular university's program. A music therapist
may hold the designations CMT (Certified Music Therapist), ACMT
(Advanced Certified Music Therapist), or RMT (Registered Music
Therapist) credentials previously conferred by the former
national organizations AAMT and NAMT ; these credentials remain
in force through 2020 and have not been available since 1998.
The current credential available is MT-BC. To become board
certified, a music therapist must complete a music therapy
degree from an accredited AMTA program at a college or
university, successfully complete a music therapy internship, and
pass the Board Certification Examination in Music Therapy,
administered through The Certification Board for Music
Therapists. To maintain the credential, either 100 units of
continuing education must be completed every five years, or the
board exam must be retaken near the end of the five-year cycle.
The units claimed for credit fall under the purview of the
Certification Board for Music Therapists. North Dakota, Nevada
and Georgia have established licenses for music therapists. In the
State of New York, the License for Creative Arts Therapies (LCAT)
incorporates the music therapy credentials within their licensure.
Lebanon[edit]
In 2006, Dr. Hamda Farhat introduced music therapy to Lebanon,
developing and inventing therapeutic methods such as the triple
method to treat hyperactivity, depression, anxiety, addiction, and
post traumatic stress disorder. She has met with great success in
working with many international organizations, and in the training
of therapists, educators, and doctors.[citation needed]
United Kingdom[edit]
Live music was used in hospitals after both World Wars as part of
the treatment program for recovering soldiers. Clinical music
therapy in Britain as it is understood today was pioneered in the
1960s and 1970s by French cellist Juliette Alvin whose influence
on the current generation of British music therapy lecturers
remains strong. Mary Priestley, one of Juliette Alvin's students,
created "analytical music therapy". The Nordoff-Robbins approach
to music therapy developed from the work of Paul Nordoff and
Clive Robbins in the 1950/60s.
Practitioners are registered with the Health Professions Council
and, starting from 2007, new registrants must normally hold a
master's degree in music therapy. There are master's level
programs in music therapy
in Manchester, Bristol, Cambridge, South
Wales, Edinburgh and London, and there are therapists
throughout the UK. The professional body in the UK is the British
Association for Music Therapy[97] In 2002, the World Congress of
Music Therapy, coordinated and promoted by the World
Federation of Music Therapy, was held in Oxford on the theme of
Dialogue and Debate.[98] In November 2006, Dr. Michael J.
Crawford and his colleagues again found that music therapy
helped the outcomes of schizophrenic patients.[99][100]
India[edit]
The roots of musical therapy in India, can be traced back to
ancient Hindu mythology, Vedic texts, and local folk traditions.
[101] It is very possible that music therapy has been used for
hundreds of years in the Indian culture.
Suvarna Nalapat has studied music therapy in the Indian context.
Her books Nadalayasindhu-Ragachikilsamrutam (2008), Music
Therapy in Management Education and Administration (2008
and Ragachikitsa (2008) are accepted textbooks on music
therapy and Indian arts.[102][103][104][105][106][107]
The "Music Therapy Trust of India" is yet another venture in the
country. It was started by Margaret Lobo[108] She is the founder
and director of the Otakar Kraus Music Trust and her work began
in 2004.[109]
History[edit]
Music has been used as a healing implement for centuries.
[54] Apollo is the ancient Greek god of music and of
medicine. Aesculapius was said to cure diseases of the mind by
using song and music, and music therapy was used in Egyptian
temples. Plato said that music affected the emotions and could
influence the character of an individual. Aristotle taught that
music affects the soul and described music as a force that
purified the emotions. Aulus Cornelius Celsus advocated the
sound of cymbals and running water for the treatment of mental
disorders. Music therapy was practiced in biblical times, when
David played the harp to rid King Saul of a bad spirit. [110] As
early as 400 B.C., Hippocrates played music for mental patients.
In the thirteenth century, Arab hospitals contained music-rooms
for the benefit of the patients.[111] In the United States, Native
American medicine men often employed chants and dances as a
method of healing patients.[112] The Turco-Persianpsychologist

and music theorist al-Farabi (872950), known as Alpharabius in
Europe, dealt with music therapy in his treatise Meanings of the
Intellect, in which he discussed the therapeutic effects of music
on the soul.[113] Robert Burton wrote in the 17th century in his
classic work, The Anatomy of Melancholy, that music and dance
were critical in treating mental illness, especially melancholia.
[114][115][116]
The rise of an understanding of the body and mind in terms of the

nervous system led to the emergence of a new wave of music
therapy in the eighteenth century. Earlier works on the subject,
such as Athanasius Kirchers Musurgia universalis of 1650 and
even early eighteenth-century books such as Michael Ernst
Ettmllers 1714 Disputatio effectus musicae in
hominem (Disputation on the Effect of Music on Man) or Friedrich
Erhardt Niedtens 1717 Veritophili, still tended to discuss the
medical effects of music in terms of bringing the soul and body
into harmony. But from the mid-eighteenth century works on the
subject such as Richard Brocklesbys 1749 Reflections of Antient
and Modern Musick, the 1737 Memoires of the French Academy of
Sciences, or Ernst Anton Nicolais 1745 Die Verbindung der Musik
mit der Arzneygelahrheit (The Connection of Music to Medicine),
stressed the power of music over the nerves. [117]
After 1800 books on music therapy often drew on the Brunonian
system of medicine, arguing that the stimulation of the nerves
caused by music could directly improve health. For example,
Peter Lichtenthals influential 1807 book Der musikalische
Arzt (The Musical Doctor) was also explicitly Brunonian in its
treatment of the effects of music on the body. Lichtenthal, a
musician, composer and physician with links to the Mozart family,
was mostly positive about music, talking of doses of music,
which should be determined by someone who knows the
"Brunonian scale."[118]
Music therapy as we know it began in the aftermath of World
Wars I and II, when, particularly in the United Kingdom, musicians
would travel to hospitals and play music for soldiers suffering
from war-related emotional and physical trauma.[119]
Music therapy in the military[edit]

History[edit]
Music therapy finds its roots in the military. The United States
Department of War issued Technical Bulletin 187 in 1945, which
described the use of music in the recuperation of military service
members in Army hospitals.[120] The use of music therapy in
military settings started to flourish and develop following World
War IIand research and endorsements from both the United
States Army and the Surgeon General of the United States.
Although these endorsements helped music therapy develop,
there was still a recognized need to assess the true viability and
value of music as a medically-based therapy. Walter Reed Army
Medical Centerand the Office of the Surgeon General worked
together to lead one of the earliest assessments of a music
therapy program. The goal of the study was to understand
whether music presented according to a specific plan
influenced recovery among service members with mental and
emotional disorders.[121]Eventually, case reports in reference to
this study relayed not only the importance but also the impact of
music therapy services in the recovery of military service

personnel.
The first university sponsored music therapy course was taught
by Margaret Anderton in 1919 at Columbia University.
[122] Anderton's clinical specialty was working with wounded
Canadian soldiers during World War II, using music-based services
to aid in their recovery process.
Today, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi
Freedom have both presented an array of injuries; however, the
two signature injuries are Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). These two signature injuries are
increasingly common among millennial military service members
and in music therapy programs.
Methods[edit]
Music therapists work with active duty military personnel,
veterans, service members in transition, and their families. Music
therapists strive to engage clients in music experiences that
foster trust and complete participation over the course of their
treatment process. Music therapists use an array of musiccentered tools, techniques, and activities when working with
military-associated clients, many of which are similar to the
techniques used in other music therapy settings. These methods
include, but are not limited to: group drumming, listening,
singing, and songwriting. Songwriting is a particularly effective
tool with military veterans struggling with PTSD and TBI as it
creates a safe space to, "...work through traumatic experiences,
and transform traumatic memories into healthier
associations."[123]
Programs[edit]
Music therapy in the military is seen in programs on military
bases, VA healthcare facilities, military treatment facilities, and
military communities. Music therapy programs have a large
outreach because they exist for all phases of military life: premobilization, deployment, post-deployment, recovery (in the case
of injury), and among families of fallen military service personnel.
[124]
Resounding Joy, Inc., a San Diego, California-based music therapy

program, is a pioneer for the use of music therapy in the military.
Its Semper Sound program specializes in providing music therapy
services to active duty military service members and veterans
diagnosed with PTSD, TBI, substance abuse, and other traumarelated diagnoses. It features different programs such as The
Semper Sound Band, based in San Diego, California, and the GI
Jams Band, based in Chelsea, Massachusetts. [125]
Walter Reed Army Medical Center located in Bethesda, Maryland,
is another pioneer for the use of music therapy in the military. All
patients at the medical center are eligible to receive music
therapy services; therefore, the range of clients is wide: TBI,
stroke, psychological diagnoses (anxiety, depression, PTSD),
autism spectrum disorder, and more.[124]
The Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) also exists to
provide music therapy services to active duty military families
who have a family member with a developmental, physical,

emotional, or intellectual disorder. Currently, programs at
the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Resounding Joy, Inc., and
the Music Institute of Chicago partner with EFMP services to
provide music therapy services to eligible military family
members.[124]
See also[edit]
Affective neuroscience
Biomusicology
Chronobiology
Eloise (psychiatric hospital)
Embodied music cognition
Harmony
Melodic intonation therapy
Music as a coping strategy
Musical analysis
Music cognition
Music theory
Music therapy in Canada
Music psychology
Psychoacoustics
Psychoanalysis and music
Psychoneuroimmunology
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merry, and him that was merry much merrier than before,
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Ismenias the Theban, [3484] Chiron the centaur, is said to
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Further reading[edit]
Aldridge, David, Music Therapy in Dementia Care, London:

Jessica Kingsley Publishers, November 2000. ISBN 1-85302776-6
Boso M, Politi P, Barale F, Enzo E (2006). "Neurophysiology

and neurobiology of the musical experience". Funct
Neurol 21 (4): 18791. PMID 17367577.
Boynton, Dori, compiler (1991). Lady Boynton's "New Age"

Dossiers: a Serendipitous Digest of News and Articles on
Trends in Modern Day Mysticism and Decadence. New Port
Richey, Flor.: Lady D. Boynton. 2 vol. N.B.: Anthology of
reprinted articles, pamphlets, etc. on New Age aspects of
speculation
in
psychology,
philosophy,
music
(especially music therapy), religion, sexuality, etc. (Without
ISBN.)
Bruscia, Kenneth E. "Frequently Asked Questions About Music

Therapy". Boyer College of Music and Dance, Music Therapy
Program, Temple University, 1993. July 6, 2009.
Bunt, Leslie Stige, Brynjulf: Music Therapy: An Art Beyond

Words. (Second edition.) London: Routledge, 2014. ISBN 9780-415-45068-3.
Davis, William B., Kate E. Gfeller, and Michael H. Thaut. An

Introduction to Music Therapy: Theory and Practice. Third ed.
Silver Spring: American Music Therapy Association,
2008. ISBN 978-1884914201
Erlmann, Veit (ed.) Hearing Cultures. Essays on Sound,

Listening, and Modernity, New York: Berg Publishers, 2004. Cf.
especially Chapter 5, "Raising Spirits and Restoring Souls".
Gold, C., Heldal, T.O., Dahle, T., Wigram, T. (2006) "Music

therapy for schizophrenia or schizophrenia-like illnesses",
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Issue 4.
Goodman, K.D. (2011). Music Therapy Education and Training:

From Theory to Practice. Springfield, Illinois: Charles C.
Thomas. ISBN 0-398-08609-5.
Hart, Hugh. (March 23, 2008) New York Times A Season of

Song, Dance and Autism. Section: AR; page 20.
La Musicothrapie: thmathque. Montral, Bibliothque du

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LiveScience
Health
NewWaytoKilViruses:ShakeThemtoDeath
By MichaelSchirber | February5,200804:27amET
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Three-dimensional model of an HIV virus.

Credit: 3DScience.com
Scientists may one day be able to destroy viruses in the same way that
opera singers presumably shatter wine glasses. New research
mathematically determined the frequencies at which simple viruses could
be shaken to death.
"The capsid of a virus is something like the shell of a turtle," said physicist
Otto Sankey of Arizona State University. "If the shell can be compromised
[by mechanical vibrations], the virus can be inactivated."
Recent experimental evidence has shown that laser pulses tuned to the
right frequency can kill certain viruses. However, locating these so-called
resonant frequencies is a bit of trial and error.
Advertisement
"Experiments must just try a wide variety of conditions and hope that
conditions are found that can lead to success," Sankey told LiveScience.
To expedite this search, Sankey and his student Eric Dykeman have
developed a way to calculate the vibrational motion of every atom in a
virus shell. From this, they can determine the lowest resonant
frequencies.
As an example of their technique, the team modeled the satellite tobacco
necrosis virus and found this small virus resonates strongly around 60
Gigahertz (where one Gigahertz is a billion cycles per second), as reported
in the Jan. 14 issue of Physical Review Letters.
A virus' death knell
All objects have resonant frequencies at which they naturally oscillate.

Pluck a guitar string and it will vibrate at a resonant frequency.
But resonating can get out of control. A famous example is the Tacoma
Narrows Bridge, which warped and finally collapsed in 1940 due to a wind
that rocked the bridge back and forth at one of its resonant frequencies.
Viruses are susceptible to the same kind of mechanical excitation. An
experimental group led by K. T. Tsen from Arizona State University have
recently shown that pulses of laser light can induce destructive vibrations
in virus shells.
"The idea is that the time that the pulse is on is about a quarter of a
period of a vibration," Sankey said. "Like pushing a child on a swing from
rest, one impulsive push gets the virus shaking."
It is difficult to calculate what sort of push will kill a virus, since there can
be millions of atoms in its shell structure. A direct computation of each
atom's movements would take several hundred thousand Gigabytes of
computer memory, Sankey explained.
He and Dykeman have found a method to calculate the resonant
frequencies with much less memory.
In practice
The team plans to use their technique to study other, more complicated
viruses. However, it is still a long way from using this to neutralize the
viruses in infected people.
One challenge is that laser light cannot penetrate the skin very deeply. But
Sankey imagines that a patient might be hooked up to a dialysis-like
machine that cycles blood through a tube where it can be hit with a laser.
Or perhaps, ultrasound can be used instead of lasers.
These treatments would presumably be safer for patients than many
antiviral drugs that can have terrible side-effects. Normal cells should not
be affected by the virus-killing lasers or sound waves because they have
resonant frequencies much lower than those of viruses, Sankey said.
Moreover, it is unlikely that viruses will develop resistance to mechanical
shaking, as they do to drugs.
"This is such a new field, and there are so few experiments, that the
science has not yet had sufficient time to prove itself," Sankey said. "We
remain hopeful but remain skeptical at the same time."
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Medicine
Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative
Sound Therapy
TOOLS
Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine| 2005 | Swain, Liz | 700+ words
COPYRIGHT 2005 The Gale Group, Inc.
Sound therapy
Definition
Sound therapy refers to a range of therapies in which sound is used
to treat physical and mental conditions. One of these therapies
is music therapy , which can involve a person listening to music for
conditions such as stress and muscle tension.
Music is one component of this therapy. Others use sound wave
vibrations to treat physical and mental conditions. In general, this
therapy is based on the theory that all of life vibrates, including
people's bodies. When a person's healthy resonant frequency is out
of balance, physical and emotional health is affected.
Treatment by sound waves is believed to restore that healthy
balance to the body. Healing is done by transmitting beneficial
sound to the affected area. The healing sound may be produced by
a voice or an instrument such as electronic equipment, chanting
bowls, or tuning forks.
Origins
Indigenous societies around the world have traditionally used sound

in healing ceremonies, including drumming, hand-clapping, singing,
dancing, and pulsating. The broad spectrum of sound therapy
includes chanting, an activity long connected to healing and
religion, and sounds of nature. Different sounds have elicited a
variety of emotional responses and altered mental and physical
states in people. One recent brain-imaging study found that spinetingling music "lights up" the same parts of the brain that are
stimulated by food, sex, and certain types of drugs.
For example, the chimes of a church bell pealed for such happy
occasions as weddings and harvest festivals, and tolled slowly to
announce a death. The connection between sound and healing was
chronicled in 1896 when American physicians discovered that
certain types of music improved thought processes and spurred
blood flow. More advances in sound therapy came after World War II.
Music therapy began in the 1940s, when it was used as part of
rehabilitation treatment for soldiers.
During the 1950s and 1960s, sound wave therapy developed in
Europe. The British osteopath Sir Peter Guy Manners developed a
machine that treated patients with healing vibrations. The machine
is placed on the area to be treated and a frequency is set to match
the cells of a healthy body. Advocates believe that the treatment
makes the body's cells vibrate at a healthy resonance.
By the 1990s, Manners had developed a computerized system with
about 800 frequencies used to treat a range of conditions. Similar
therapies are also known by names such as bioresonance and
vibrational therapy. This therapy is used to treat such conditions
as cancer .
After Manners developed his therapy, two ear specialists in France
developed therapies that focus on listening. Dr. Alfred Tomatis'
method and Dr. Guy Berard's auditory integration
training involve the patient listening to sounds through
headphones. Currently, the Tomatis method is used to treat
conditions ranging from learning disabilities to anxiety in both
children and adults.
From the 1960s on, interest in alternative medicine and New Age
healing has led to a wide variety of sound healing therapies. These
range from the ancient practice of chanting and the use of singing
bowls to vibro-acoustic furniture. A person sits or lies on a chair or
bed and music is directed into the body. Benefits are said to include
lowered blood pressure.
Benefits
Sound therapy focuses on balancing energy to treat a condition.

Advocates maintain that sound therapy is effective in treating such
conditions as stress, anxiety, high blood pressure,depression ,
and autism . Chanting and overtone chanting are used in therapy
with Alzheimer's patients. This form of sound therapy is said to help
with memory function. Some researchers think that music
memories may outlast some other types of memories because
music involves many parts of the brain.
A newer form of sound therapy that is used with Alzheimer's
patients is called multisensory or Snoezelen therapy. The name
"Snoezelen" comes from two Dutch words that mean "to sniff" and
"to doze." It was originally developed to treat disabled children by
stimulating all the senses. Snoezelen therapy takes place in
specially constructed rooms in which patients can, for example,
produce music simply by walking in front of a sound beam. The
sound beam, which looks like a microphone, "translates" the
patient's movements into music. Other Snoezelen devices include
fiber-optic cables that glow when patients wrap them around their
bodies, and a chair that vibrates as it plays music through internal
speakers. In this way, even deaf patients can "feel" the music as it
plays. Snoezelen therapy has been found to reduce pain in
Alzheimer's patients without the need for extra medication.
Physical conditions treated by sound therapy include pain during
labor, muscle and joint pain like arthritis, back pain, sports injuries,
soft tissue damage, and cancer.
The Tomatis method is used for conditions including dyslexia ,
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Down
syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome , autism, depression, and
behavioral problems. The method, also known as listening therapy,
is used to help older people with coordination and motor problems.
Furthermore, performers take the therapy to refine their skills.
Description
The spectrum of sound therapy is so broad that a person has many
choices about the type of treatment and its cost. Some therapies
can be done at home; others require a practitioner or therapist to
perform the therapy or to provide initial instruction. As of 2002,
most health plans did not cover the cost of any form of sound
therapy, including music therapy. However, some sound therapies
may be part of integrative treatment for a condition.
Chanting and toning
Chanting and toning are among the complementary therapies

offered through the integrative medicine program at Memorial
Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. The program, which
opened in April 1999, is one example of how the traditional medical
community is incorporating alternative therapies into treatment.
People learn to reach a meditative state by producing a "pure"
sound such as a drawn-out vowel. The chanting is said to produce a
state of well-being in mind and body. The cost of therapy will vary
since a person could take a class or workshop or opt for longer
therapy. Treatment could involve weekly hour-long sessions over a
period of several months.
Toning refers to using the voice to let out pain or stress. Sound
healers point out that people do this naturally when they cry out or
sigh. In toning therapy, a healer will help the patient learn healing
sounds. Overtoning involves the therapist using his or her voice to
assess a client's condition from the feet to the head. The therapist
then treats the person by projecting healing sounds or "overtones."
Sounding, also known as toning, strives to improve vocal and
listening abilities for emotional release and better communication. It
was developed by Don Campbell, who established the Institute for
Music, Health, and Education in Boulder, Colorado, in 1988. The
discipline is being used in hospitals, schools, and educational
centers to release stress. Toning or sounding is the way to massage
the body from the inside out.
The Tomatis method

The Tomatis method involves the client using special headphones
with bone and air conduction to listen to electronically recorded
music frequencies. These are believed to open the brain to greater
frequencies of sound. As of 2002, there were more than 250 Tomatis
centers located around the world.
Furthermore, the Mozart Center in northern California began offering
home treatment in the late 1990s. Treatment for the three-phase
program cost $3,210 in mid-2000. Therapy lasted about three
months and started with initial testing and instruction about how to
use equipment.
The client used the equipment for two hours per day for 15 days. A
diary was kept during that time, and a practitioner made weekly
check-up calls. A month after therapy started, the practitioner
returned to the home and reinstalled the equipment. The two-hour
daily therapy continued for 10 days, along with the diary entries.
The third phase of therapy continued six weeks later with 10 days of
therapy and diary-keeping.
Vibrational therapy
Sound therapies like cymatics have been compared
to acupressure . An instrument is placed on a point of the body
and beneficial sound is directed at that point. The sound directed
through the skin is believed to establish healthy resonance in
unhealthy tissue.
Other forms of sound therapy

The spectrum of sound therapy includes such other treatments as:
Audiotapes with special frequencies or music are designed for

conditions ranging from AIDSto weight problems. Costs will vary. Some
recordings are said to target both the emotional and physical aspects
of these conditions.
Tuning forks are used to give the person resonance. This is said to help
the person relax and give balance. Costs vary.
Hemi-sync therapy involves listening to synthesized sounds to balance

both hemispheres of the brain. This is said to produce an altered state
of consciousness.
Adaptation of age-old instruments such as the Tibetan singing bowls.

Sound from these bowls can be used in conjunction with chanting
or meditation . Tibetan monks used bronze bowls.
Preparations
Pre-treatment preparation varies with the type of therapy to be
undertaken. Some therapies such as the Tomatis method require an
assessment and then treatment is administered. Other therapies
can be taught by therapists and done at home. Some therapies
require little or no training. Equipment such as audiotapes and
chanting bowls can be purchased and used with minimal instruction.
Furthermore, organizations like the Sound Healers Association can
provide information about training in other types of sound therapy.
In addition, some companies sell equipment such as bioresonance
machines.
Precautions
Although treatments like the Tomatis method and cymatics require

training in those therapies, there are no certification programs for
practitioners of other therapies.
While there is no danger from such therapies as chanting, other
forms of sound therapy should not be undertaken until a doctor or
health practitioner is consulted. People with pacemakers should not
do cymatics.
Side effects
Sound therapy has produced no known side effects or complications.
Research & general acceptance

Sound therapy is so diverse that the amount of research and
general acceptance in the United States is varied. Music therapy has
been accepted within the traditional medical community. Other
therapies such as chanting and toning have been integrated into
traditional treatment of cancer. Furthermore, some studies indicated
that auditory integration training and the Tomatis method could be
used for behavioral problems.
Much of the medical community remains dubious about the healing
effects of treating patients' unhealthy cells with sound waves.
Although a clinic or center may provide testimonials from cured
patients, there has been no scientific research to prove this.
While the traditional medical community remains skeptical about
some aspects of sound therapy, treatment has been undertaken by
people around the world. Therapies are available in areas including
North America, Europe, and Japan.
Training & certification

Unlike music therapy, in which the therapist must have a degree
and pass a national board certification examination, there are no
licensing and training requirements for sound therapists. However,
some disciplines may require training in their therapies. The
directors of Tomatis Centers are certified specialists in fields
including music, speech therapy, and psychology. Furthermore, the
Sound Healers Association provides training and sells a national
directory of sound healers and such other sound therapy items as
books and tapes.
Resources
BOOKS
Albright, Peter. The Complete Book of Complementary
Therapies. Allentown, PA: People's Medical Society, 1997.
Editors of Time-Life Books. The Alternative Advisor. Alexandria, VA:
Time-Life Books, 1997.
Gottlieb, Bill. New Choices in Natural Healing. Emmaus, PA: Rodale
Press, Inc., 1995.
Nash, Barbara. From Acupuncture to Zen: An Encyclopedia of
Natural Therapies. Alameda, CA: Hunter House, 1996.
Ortiz, John M. The Tao of Music, Sound Psychology: Using Music to
Change Your Life. Samuel Weiser Inc., 1997.
PERIODICALS
"Brain HealthMusic and the Mind." Harvard Health Letter 27
(December 2001): np.
Green, Chris. "Light, Sound Prescribed for Pain Relief." Capper's 123
(October 16, 2001): 12.
ORGANIZATIONS
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. 1275 York Ave. 68th St.,
New York, NY 10021. (212) 639-2000. <http://www.mskcc.org>.
Mozart Center (Tomatis method). P.O. Box 76, Jenner, CA 95450.
(707) 632-6976.<http://www.mozartcenter.com>.
Sound Healers Association. P.O. Box 2240, Boulder CO, 80306. (303)
443-8181.<http://www.healingsounds.com/sha/sha-about.asp>.
Telesound LTD. 31 Hall Green, Malvern, Worcestershire, UK, WR14
3QY. (0)1684 572506. E-mail:
sales@telesound.co.uk. <http://www.telesound.co.uk>.
The Tomatis Method. <http://www.tomatis.com>.
Liz Swain
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Abstract
Send to:
Neurosci Lett. 2004 May 6;361(1-3):4-8.
Stimulating music increases motor coordination in patients afflicted

with Morbus Parkinson.
Bernatzky G1, Bernatzky P, Hesse HP, Staffen W, Ladurner G.
Author information
Abstract
The present study measured the short-term effect of special stimulating music on motor
coordination in Parkinson patients. Eleven patients with a dominant akinetic Parkinson syndrome
as well as ten healthy persons (age-matched control group) participated in this study. In the
Parkinson group, the measurement of fine motor coordination with the 'Vienna Test System'
showed an improvement in two (aiming, line tracking) of the four subtests after listening to the
music. The patients improved their performance with the right arm significantly in the subtest
aiming-error-time. No statistical differences were found in the other two subtests (steadiness,
tapping) in both groups. There was also no improvement in frequency of tapping movement on the
power-force-working-plate. Accordingly, music effects more the precision of a movement than the
speediness. The measurements on the power-force-working-plate showed a significant
improvement in two of five measured parameters: contact time, variability coefficient for total step
and impact maximum changed significantly. This study gives evidence that specific music can
improve the precision of arm and finger movements.
PMID:
15135879
[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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A new science is emerging that is changing our traditional understanding of health and healing. The
latest scientific research is focusing on experiments, which are quantifying the effects of energy, light
and information on human beings. Leading the way are an international team of world-renowned
scientists, William Tiller, PhD, Gary Schwartz, PhD, and Konstantin Kortokov, PhD, with their studies of
the Reconnective Healing frequencies, first discovered by Eric Pearl, D.C. The powerful and profound
results of this research, anticipated to be published later this year, are attracting the attention of the best
and brightest in the scientific community.
Dr. Tiller, Professor Emeritus, Stanford University, author of eight books, 250 scientific papers and star of
the recent film What The Bleep!?, has been conducting research on how the physical properties of a
room or space change as a result of energy healingfrequencies entering that room. Dr. Tiller conducted
his experiment on the Reconnective Healing frequencies for the first time at one of Eric Pearls seminars
held in Sedona, AZ in 2006, and found the results so extraordinary that he repeated the study in 2007 in
Los Angeles, CA and continued his inquiry into this phenomenon at The Reconnection Mastery
Conference in Los Angeles this past September. According to Dr. Tiller, the Reconnective Healing
frequencies bring healing beyond just what has been classically known as energy healing into a
broader spectrum of energy, light and information.
What Dr. Tiller has found is that these intelligent frequencies begin changing the quantum field effects of
the room, or conditioning the space, easily 36 hours or more before a seminar even begins,
dramatically increasing the excess free thermodynamic energy in the room. In other words, if this were
simply the energy we find in energy healing, the temperature of the room would have increased by 300
centigrade! With Reconnective Healing, while the actual room temperature does not change, the amount
of energy, light and information charging the room does, palpably and dramatically. In Dr. Tillers words,
As we continued to monitor that space, we found two days later the increase in this effective energy
content was huge. [If we ask] What is the effective temperature increase for that normal space, how
much must it go up to give the same excess energy content as was in Eric's workshop two days after he
started? [The answer is] The effective temperature increase for a normal space would have been 300
degrees Centigrade! That is huge.
The initial findings are highly significant. Dr. Tiller continues,
This shift of energy is what allows normal human beings to enter a room and later to walk out with an
ability to heal others and themselves, regardless of their background or education.
In another research study, Dr. Schwartz, along with Drs. Melinda Connor and Ann Baldwin from the
Laboratory for Advances in Consciousness and Health at The University of Arizona, focus their research
on the people who attend Reconnective Healing seminars. At his lab at the University of Arizona and
also at seminars around the world, Dr. Schwartz and his colleagues conducted their baseline energy
healing studies which measured peoples abilities to work with, feel, transmit and receive light and other
electromagnetic frequencies before and after they attended the seminar. What they found was dramatic.
Of the more than 100+ people who participated in the study, all walked out with permanently expanded
and new electromagnetic abilities following the Reconnective Healing seminar, whether they had never
studied healing or if they were masters/teachers of the various energy healing techniques known today,
old or new.
While Dr. Tiller has been measuring the incredible field effects that occur at these seminars and Dr.
Schwartz has been focusing his research on those who attend those seminars, Dr. Korotokov has
studied both of these things. Using his proprietary methodologies and cutting edge imaging and
measurement devices, his research corroborates the work of both Tiller and Schwartz. More specifically,
he has also measured and documented a very large field effect at these seminars, calling them
coherence effects, that occur during the teaching of the seminars. These effects are most dramatic and
powerful whenever a new concept or exercise is taught during the seminars, and these teachings result
in dramatic spikes in both the intensity and size of the field in the room. He theorizes these coherence
effects are what might be allowing normal people to gain these new abilities and become master
healers in just one weekend.
Additionally, Dr. Korotkovs work demonstrates that most of those who are simply sitting in the seminar
room itself receive positive health effects. In fact, it is not uncommon for people to have physical and
other healings just from sitting in the seminar room during the class!
What impact are these and other studies on energy having on the scientific and medical community?
Traditional science and medicine can no longer approach health and healing the same way. New
scientific exploration in Dr. Tillers Psychoenergetic Science, in Dr. Pearls The Reconnection: Heal
Others, Heal Yourself, and in Dr. SchwartzsEnergy Healing Experiments are paving the way towards
validating the powerful effects that energy, light and information can have on people. This type of
exploration is contributing to advancing humanity to the next stage of evolution.
Author's Bio:
Eric Pearl Biography
Internationally recognized healer Eric Pearl has appeared on countless television programs in the US
and around the world, spoken by invitation at the United Nations, presented to a full house at Madison
Square Garden, been interviewed in various publications including The New York Times, and most
recently featured in the film, The Living Matrix.
As a doctor, Eric ran a highly successful chiropractic practice for 12 years until one day patients began
reporting that they felt his hands on them even though he hadnt physically touched them. Patients
soon reported receiving miraculous healings from cancers, AIDS-related diseases, epilepsy, chronic
fatigue syndrome, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid and osteoarthritis, birth disfigurements, cerebral palsy
and other serious afflictions. All this occurred when Eric simply held his hands near them and to this
day, it continues.
His patients healings have been documented in six books to date, including Erics own international
bestseller, The Reconnection: Heal Others, Heal Yourself, soon to be in languages!
Based in Los Angeles, Eric and Reconnective Healing elicit great interest from top doctors and medical
researchers at hospitals, colleges and universities worldwide. These include Jackson Memorial Hospital,
UCLA, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, the VA Hospital, University of Minnesota, University of Miami
Medical School, Suburban Hospital, Quality of Life Research Center (Cophenhagen), Memorial Hospital
(Istanbul), Kent College of Osteopathy (UK), RMIT University (Melbourne), Parker College (Dallas, TX
and Melbourne, Australia), St. Petersburg State Technical University (St. Petersburg), The University of
Oslo, and the University of Arizona where he addresses physicians at the request of such medical
luminaries as Dr. Andrew Weil and others. New research programs are presently underway at multiple
facilities internationally under the guidance of such renowned research scientists as Gary Schwartz,
PhD., William Tiller, PhD., Konstantin Korotkov, PhD. and others.
Eric travels the globe extensively throughout the year bringing the light and information of Reconnective
Healing onto the planet. He teaches you how to activate and utilize this new, all-inclusive spectrum of
healing frequencies that allow us to completely transcend energy healing and its myriad techniques
to access a level of healing beyond anything anyone has been able to access prior to now! To date, he
has taught this new level of healing to close to 75,000 people in more than 60 countries, bringing about
a spontaneous generation of healers worldwide.
Neoteny
This site is really interesting. You bring up some great points about your article... .. Thanks
for the great information.. It is my first time here in this site... That is why it calls my attention
to visit it again for more source of new information.. Great article..
reply
Dale Miller (Dieting and Weight Loss)
Good one, thanks for the info
reply
maryalice_golden@yahoo.com
thank you.
reply
Zaklina Trajcevska (Nutrition)

Really really interesting article. The studies/experiments of Dr Tiller are fascinating!
reply
Father Time (Mysticism)

Fabulous piece! Many Blessings!
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The Human Body Frequency
By Dr. Galina Merline

Every object on this planet, still or alive, has an electrical frequency that can be measured
accurately. Electrical frequency is being measured by counting of the number of occurrences
of a repeating current flow per second. This unit is called Hertz (Hz) and for convenience it is
defined in multiplying units like: KHz, MHz, GHz and THz. When referring to living organisms
the proper frequency measuring unit is MHz Megahertz equals to 106 Hz.
People might ask how come a living organism like the human being has measurable
frequencies. The definite answer is how is it possible that human beings would NOT radiate in
certain frequencies? The human body is a radiant machine.

radiates. Our brain operates on electrical current, our ears
produce
voices
and
As was said, living organisms have measurable frequencies o

body down to the cellular level. That fact has enabled sc
humans and map their frequencies. It turned out quite c
differences in healthy humans in comparison to ill ones. Mor
each illness has different frequency that is always within a
steps of that line of research those results were considered a
as the research progressed and researches started running
cells, it turned out that those cells also reacted to d
frequencies. The most incredible discovery was that ill cells
frequencies and were cured or eliminated whilst nearby
It has also been discovered that the general human healthy

62-72 Hz and when it drops to lower levels it enables the ap
For example at the level of 58 Hz, diseases like cold and flu
much lower levels (42 Hz) Cancer appeared in quite may hum
Though this line of research seemed like a major breakthrou

a meaningful statistical impact. In some cases there was a
other cases there was no impact at all. Scientists started e
sheer frequency i.e. the Hz measurement. It appeared that w
and wavelength sweep had made a tremendous diffe
Any movement of an object in any frequency can be change

another frequency and the frequency of the human body and
means that sets of frequencies directed at inflicted cells o
these additional elements defined by very precise data par
desirable impact. Those new elements were added to r
Now the elementary research, which produced a large varie

has turned into a highly expertise research field. In a
biochemistry than to physics. It is no longer as simple as som
requires in depth knowledge in order to produce e
The beginning of the third millennium opens new horizons

seems now, this process has already begun and it looks very
Read More:
What is HTSF?
Our Knowledge
Further articles:
- The Effect of Sound Frequency
- On Sound Frequencies
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The Healing Power of Sounds
It
is
common knowledge that already in the ancient world sound was
used for healing. However, recent technology has developed
incredibly precise, reliable and effective instruments, enabling us
to use sound frequencies toaddress specific illnesses and
conditions and restore their balance. Healtone sound formulas
are actually a conversation between a specifically calibrated sound
frequency and your illness. It may be the most important
conversation you could be having.
click here to learn how tolisten to the sound of your body.
Every
illness
produces
specific
and characteristic frequencies. These frequencies can be accurately
measured and by applying the converse sound frequencies, they

restored to their normal range. In this way,
your health is brought back into balance.
Although scanned frequencies of the same illness are identical in

their frequency patterns, they may vary slightly from one person
to another. These variations are relatively minor and are covered
by the HTSF product, which addresses the illness frequency as a
whole. HTSF must, however, be adapted to the gender, age, and
weight of the user.
Thanks to the Internet we can reduce

overheads, and offer our HTSF range at affordable prices. HTSF
products are very simple to use, and for the most part requires
only a few minutes of listening every day. In most cases the
balancing results are immediate, and are always free of any
harmful side-effects.
Healtone's leading technology allows to

benefit from the healing properties of sound on-line and in the
convenience of one's own home. Healtone sound formulas can be
played on almost any sound device: pc+mac; mp3/4; IPhone;
IPod; Ipad; Most cell phones.
Read More:
What is HTSF?
ShareThis
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Treating tinnitus

There's not usually a quick fix for tinnitus, but it will

Correcting hearing loss

Improving your hearing will also mean sounds you

Understanding tinnitus plays an important part in learning

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)

This technique can be effectively applied to tinnitus. For

Tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT)

combination of more intensive sound therapy and longterm counselling.

Page last reviewed: 26/06/2015

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Protect your ears from loud music

Action on Hearing Loss: tinnitus

British Tinnitus Association

How to protect your hearing, with tips on spotting when you're

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Hearing loss can occur suddenly, but usually develops

asking people to repeat themselves

Read more about the symptoms of hearing loss.

When to see your GP

It's also possible to have both these types of hearing loss.

Preventing hearing loss

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digital hearing aids which are available through

such as British Sign

Conductive hearing loss is sometimes temporary and can

How hearing works

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Hearing loss: Paul's story

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