Oh My Aching Head! Can Music Really Make You Feel Better?

We all know, if only instinctively, that music has agentle, soothing melody that helps you relax. This
profound effect on us. If we didn't believe that musicmight mean an old Natalie Cole melody that distracts
affects us then singing lullabies to calm children andyou and draws you in to a more comfortable
help them sleep wouldn't be universal.moment, but whether your taste if for Natalie Cole,
In reality melody, harmony, and rhythm probablyHandel, or something more modern, the key is to find
impacts the human brain in ways that are far morea melody that has a slow steady beat (ideally at or
profound than we realize. We all know that an upunder sixty beats per minute, which is just below the
tempo melody from our favorite performer stirs andresting rate of the human heart) that will help you
energizes us just as a slower melody can help usrelax and let the pain medication do its work more
relax or even prompt sad emotions from the depthseffectively.
of our soul, but did you know that evidence hasOnce you have found the right melody, sit back and
been found linking the merging of melody, harmony,focus on the melody for at least fifteen minutes. If
and rhythm with pain management?you can do this, it can have the effect of lowering
The direct implication of this is that by incorporatingyour heart rate and breathing rate thereby releasing
the right melody (we'll discuss what defines the rightthe tension that comes with (or in some cases even
melody in a moment) into your schedule it is possiblecauses) the pain. If you find it difficult to focus on
to reduce your need for pain medication and therebygiving the melody your undivided attention, try
save money and aggravation.prefacing your selections with an additional melody
Sound good? I know it does to me. Who wouldn'tthat picks you up emotionally and sucks you into the
like to save a little more money that they aremoment before going into your quieting music which
already sending to the pharmaceutical companies. Andshould relax you; after all, relaxing you is the primary
the best part is that the melodies that you need forfunction of many analgesics anyway so why not do
pain management may already be in your collection.it with a melody that's already in your collection? Or
Researchers suggest that the magic melody that youbetter yet, what better excuse to go out and add a
are looking for in your quest for melodic pain reliefnew CD to your collection?
isn't one particular song that fits all. Instead personalAnd hey -- even if it doesn't help your aching head,
taste is an important factor: but don't run out andits a heck of a lot cheaper than other means and
put on your favorite hard rock selection, it probablypleasant to boot!
won't do the trick. Instead, you want to look for a