Dance, music and painting are effective remedies against stress, depression, post-operative pain and even Parkinson's disease. No, it's not a simple subjective belief: art therapy really works, and this was certified by the World Health Organization, in a substantial report that examined 900 scientific studies published on this subject in the last twenty years. It turned out that the aforementioned disciplines have a therapeutic value, and not only in improving mood but also in overcoming physical traumas or real illnesses.
For example, cites the WHO, music is one of the most effective tools for reducing pain during surgery: listening to it before and during operations reduces pain by an average of 10% and anxiety by 21%. But that is not all. Music therapy can also enhance the emotional bond between newborns and mothers and increase the language acquisition capacity in infants. On the other hand, according to WHO evidence, painting may reduce depression and fatigue in chemotherapy patients. And then there's dance, which even goes so far as to improve balance and movement for Parkinson's patients.
“Art therapy – explains Johanna Czamansky Cohen, researcher at the University of Haifa, in Israel – acts above all, by stimulating the senses, on the mechanism of emotion regulation. We can access our emotions either introspectively (which, however, can be stressful for those with traumatic memories) or through the stimulation of the senses. This is the second way that opens up by painting, modeling clay or listening to music”. The mix between attention and relaxation that is obtained can have various beneficial effectsFor example, it changes the heart rate and this reduces inflammatory proteins such as cytokines, and can also reduce the stress hormone.
