Hippocrates thought that music and medicinal therapy have a strong link, which contemporary research has proved time and time again. Music therapy has helped prematurely born newborns calm down, infants bond with their new parents, stroke patients restore motor functions, and dementia patients retain memories over the years.
According to a recent study, music not only aids in the management of menopause symptoms, but also aids women suffering from sadness brought on by menopause. The findings were reported in Menopause, the North American Menopause Society's (NAMS) peer-reviewed medical journal.
Music not only affects our emotions, but it also affects our hormones. Yes, according to the study, music helps the release of neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, endorphins, and oxytocin, which help us feel better. It also helps to regulate menopause symptoms by lowering the level of circulating stress hormones like cortisol.
Talking about the study, Dr Stephanie Faubion, Medical Director, NAMS, said, “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. Although 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."
While it is general knowledge that women go through menopause with a rollercoaster of hormones, mood swings, sleep troubles, hot flashes, sexual dysfunction, and muscle pain, alternative treatments such as hypnosis and cognitive behavioural therapy have only been utilised to address the symptoms. Lifestyle adjustments, such as mindfulness activities, were sometimes advised as well.
Several studies show that women are at a higher risk of depression after menopause, and previous studies have shown that music therapy can help patients with severe mental problems reduce their depressive symptoms. Music therapy has also been shown to be effective in the treatment of postpartum depression. As a result, it's being tested as a supplemental treatment for women suffering from depression brought on by menopause.
This is one of the few studies to look into the impact of music therapy on the symptoms of menopause, and the depression that comes with it in menopausal women. According to the findings of the study, listening to music can dramatically reduce depression and assist postmenopausal women cope with the symptoms of menopause.
The study results were published in an article titled, ‘The effect of music therapy on menopausal symptoms and depression: a randomized-controlled study’ and suggests that ‘music could be used as a non-pharmacologic therapeutic option in the care of menopausal women.’