Music Therapy
Dealing with a brain injury can cause increased stress and difficulties for those who are affected. Because music evokes emotion and memories in people, it can help them to deal with their anger, anxiety or depression by increasing positive emotions. It can even help improve concentration and coordination, and can assist with basic abilities such as speech and physical movement.
Neurologic Music Therapy
NMT is an advanced type of music therapy, which uses recognised techniques to treat the brain using music and rhythm. NMT can help brain injured patients by using the musical part of the brain, which is undamaged, to encourage them to achieve goals such as re-teaching language or re-learning how to walk. When merged with other, more traditional therapies (such as physiotherapy and speech and language therapy), NMT is seen to have quite incredible results.
NMT and language
For instance, where someone has suffered loss of speech due to a stroke, music can create new ways of learning how to verbally communicate again.
NMT and mobility
Where someone’s mobility has been impaired as a result of a brain injury, music can also help to improve their ability to walk, particularly when combined with physiotherapy. This is because rhythm accesses movement centres of the brain.
Who can access NMT?
NMT can benefit people with traumatic brain injuries (caused as a result of trauma or a blow to the head) or acquired brain injuries (present since birth or as a result of conditions such as stroke, encephalitis, brain haemorrhage or tumour). NMT can also help people with neurologic disorders such as Parkinson’s Disease, dementia, and multiple sclerosis. (lexology.com)