Individual Wholeness

What is Sound Therapy?

Sound healing involves using tones—whether music, speech or vibrations—to promote health. The ancient technique has been practiced for centuries, initially as a way to treat mental illness in ancient Greece. Today, sound therapy is used to promote physical and mental health, and the benefits are multifold. Different approaches vary based on the desired result. These techniques can reduce stress, mood swings and blood pressure, lower cholesterol, help manage pain and improve sleep. Although there are many methods, a few common ones include binaural beats, tuning fork therapy, vibrational sound therapy and music for healing. There’s plenty of research still to be done, but studies have demonstrated its ability to boost relaxation and overall well-being.

Sound therapy may be an unfamiliar idea, but it’s gaining research-based traction. Several studies found that music has anti-inflammatory properties and can strengthen the immune system while lowering stress levels. With less tension and anxiety, the body can maintain healthy cell activity and protect itself from illness.

The vagus nerve, or tenth cranial nerve does not play an active part in the process of hearing, therefore it is not normally taken into big consideration in things that relate to music, hearing and the like outside of the medical field. However, this incredibly important nerve is connected with the posterior wall of the external auditory canal, the lower part of the eardrum’s membrane and in the middle ear: the stapedius (stirrup) muscle. From these parts of the ear, it makes its way all the way down to the lower internal organs and is responsible for a high number of regulatory functions in pharynx, larynx, thorax and abdomen.

Basically, stimulating the ear means stimulating all the vital vegetative internal organs.

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