Going through menopause can be an extremely challenging time, where the world you’ve known for most of your life is turned upside down. Not every person’s experience of menopause is the same, with symptoms ranging in frequency and severity. These include depression, sexual dysfunction, joint and muscle pain, sleep disturbances, hot flushes, and more.
The process sounds a little scary, but if you’re about to go through menopause or are currently experiencing it, have no fear. Research from The North American Menopause Society (NAMS), has shown music can significantly soothe many menopausal symptoms.
Why is music healing?
Utilizing music for healing is not a new phenomenon. The practice is rooted in many ancient societies, including as far back as Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt. Even though back in these times the scientific reason was unknown, clear positive outcomes on people’s health could be seen.
This new study, published in Menopause, discusses the facts behind the treatment. Music has been shown to stimulate the secretion of many chemicals in our bodies. These include dopamine, serotonin, endorphins oxytocin, while also decreasing levels of stress hormones such as cortisol.
The balance of these chemicals circulating in our bodies determines blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, and also mood. As we reported last year, many studies have shown that music can be a very useful tool in treating depression and anxiety. As these are common symptoms of menopause, scientists thought this treatment could also be applied successfully.
An accessible effective treatment
And… they were correct! The results from the study indicated that a range of menopausal symptoms can be significantly decreased through listening to music. “This small study highlights the potential beneficial effect of an easy-to-implement, low-cost, low-tech, and low-risk intervention such as music therapy for menopause symptoms, particularly mood symptoms,” says Dr. Stephanie Faubion, NAMS medical director.
An incredible thing about this treatment is its non-pharmacological approach. Allowing people who prefer this type of medicine to have some kind of treatment for their menopausal symptoms. This, alongside the low-cost and low-tech needed to carry out treatment, means accessibility for biological women around the globe can be increased.
Until now, a study of this kind has not been carried out regarding menopause. Even though the results are promising, further tests need to be carried out. “Additional research is needed to confirm these findings in larger study populations, there is little downside to adding music therapy to our armamentarium for menopause symptom management,” added Faubion.
