Abstract

Music and medicine have been closely associated for centuries. Indeed, Pythagoras believed that if music were used in daily life in a prescribed manner it would make a salutary contribution to one's health, a concept which led him to investigate the physics of sound and to develop the fundamentals of today's tonal system (Munro & Mount, 1978). During medieval times, music was imbued with significant therapeutic properties and used as a mood altering medium, an aid to digestion, an antidote to poison and as a wound healing stimulant. The idea of using a pure sinusoidal tone at a low frequency has been known for centuries, and in primitive cultures instruments and sounds were used to treat psychosomatic disorders (Skille et al, 1989). Today, music is acknowledged as a therapeutic modality, with scientific evidence attesting to its psychological and physiological effects.

Highlights

  • Music and medicine have been closely associated for centuries

  • Pythagoras believed that if music were used in daily life in a prescribed manner it would make a salutary contribution to one's health, a concept which led him to investigate the physics ofsound and to develop the fundamentals of today's tonal system (Munro & Mount, 1978)

  • Music is acknowledged as a therapeutic modality, with scientific evidence attesting to its psychological and physiological effects

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Summary

Introduction

Music and medicine have been closely associated for centuries. Pythagoras believed that if music were used in daily life in a prescribed manner it would make a salutary contribution to one's health, a concept which led him to investigate the physics ofsound and to develop the fundamentals of today's tonal system (Munro & Mount, 1978). Music therapy has been defined as the controlled use of music, its elements and their influences on a human being to aid in the physiological, psychological and emotional integration of the individual during the treatment of an illness or disability (Munro & Mount, 1978). There are a variety of techniques used which can be adapted to the patient's physical status and psychological framework (porchet-Munro, 1988).

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