You may recall my recent post about the benefits of music for your health. This time, it's listening to soft music on your iPod or any other music player of your choice in a quiet place that can be just as relaxing and beneficial for your mind and body as a series of massage sessions, according to a new study comparing the effectiveness of various complementary and alternative medical (CAM) treatments to reduce anxiety.
Over a three-month period, 68 patients were assigned either to 10 one-hour therapeutic massage sessions or a pair of control treatments: relaxation therapy or thermotherapy (legs and arms were wrapped intermittently with warm towels and heating pads). All participants were treated on massage tables in a softly lighted room, surrounded by quiet music.
Interestingly, all three groups reported a 40 percent symptomatic decrease in anxiety at the conclusion of this series of treatments and a matching 50 percent drop three months later, surprising researchers that there was no real difference between therapeutic massage, thermotherapy or listening to relaxing music.
As much as I love a good massage, nothing relaxes me more than knowing I can save a few bucks and improve my mental health just by spending a few minutes listening to Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou, the Greek composer better known in the world of cinematic music as Vangelis.
Depression and Anxiety February 23, 2010
healthfinder.gov March 19, 2010
ScienceDaily March 11, 2010