Music therapy is a treatment technique that uses music associated with various activities to treat various health changes, as it improves mood, increases self-esteem, stimulates the brain and even improves body expression. Know all the benefits of this technique.
Thus, music therapy can be used by the elderly to facilitate some of the psychological changes that occur with age, as well as to prevent cardiovascular problems such as high blood pressure or heart failure, for example.
In this technique, the elderly are encouraged to participate in different types of activities that involve music, such as singing, playing, improvising and creating, but at the same time include time to discuss problems and concerns.
Main benefits in aging
Music therapy associated with the aging process can have several benefits such as:
- Restoring the rhythm of gait: the use of music with marked rhythms helps elderly people with difficulty in getting around and balancing; Speech stimulation: singing provides an improvement in diction and oratory problems; Increased creativity: the creation of new music increases creativity and stimulates all cognitive abilities; Increased strength and body awareness: the rhythm of the music stimulates body movements and tones the muscles; Decreased symptoms of depression: the social interaction used in music therapy reduces isolation, in addition to being a way of expressing emotions; Reduction of stress levels: interaction and moments of good mood serve as a way to discharge stress, avoiding an increase in blood pressure and heart rate.
Elderly people who practice music therapy activities daily get away from loneliness, feel more supported, happy and with a great quality of life.
Example of music therapy exercise
A good example of a music therapy exercise consists of:
- Write a question, such as "Speak how you are feeling today" and place it inside a birthday balloon; Sit people in a circle shape; Fill the balloon and pass it from hand to hand; Sing a song while the balloon passes by each person; At the end of the song, the person holding the balloon should pop it and read the question and answer.
This activity helps to share the concerns that naturally arise with age, preventing the development of psychological problems such as depression. In addition, sharing experiences and concerns helps to prevent the development of anxiety, helping to control blood pressure and heart rate.
