Go into any hospital or medical facility in the USA, and you’ll find a kind of nod to the arts. It may be a painting, art, or sculpture exhibit, a pianist trembling in the waiting area, or an inspired and reflective poem on a wall. Many experts agree that the arts are able to facilitate healing and a greater sense of well-being and are sometimes referred to as the healing arts if used in this way. Healing arts comprise a variety of arts, including visual art, music, dance, writing, and even drama. According to pain management doctors, using the arts can enhance our feelings and reduce pain.
Let us explore how the healing arts can be used using two simple methods we can define as passive or active participation.
The passive experience includes art that has been created or generated by others. Listening to music, looking at a painting, or reading a poem are all basic healing methods. Research shows that this form of art activity can help reduce discomfort, stress, and anxiety.
Maybe the best example is listening to music, where diversion can be used as a way to relieve pain. It has been shown that the right kind of auditory stimulus decreases the subjective pain effects and calms the nervous system. The management of cancer pain has been extensively studied in music therapy, where pain relief, self-control, health enhancement, immune function, and lower anxiety are seen.
In changing how we feel, visual stimulation also plays a part. Several research over the years have shown the effect of the physical environment on patients in hospitals. In natural scenes, discomfort can be minimized, and uncomfortable procedures, including dressing changes, can be handled. When their rooms have panoramic views, patients recover more easily from surgery. Patient satisfaction and a lower duration of stay appear to be associated with the suspension of paintings in the hospital. It can help to alleviate pain and tension immediately by taking a few minutes for music or reading a couple of paintings or photographs.
But it may also function as an effective instrument of healing through active participation in the healing arts drawing, painting, journaling, coloring, and dancing. These exercises may contribute to alleviating pain, as researched by pain management doctors of OKC. Engaging with a creative process can also be a pleasant diversion tool, especially when the pain flaunts, and you feel like you just want a break. Active engagement in the healing arts can also lead to deeper treatment and emotional healing, leading to more durable pain encounters and suffering alleviation.
The research found that when hospitalized patients are involved in the arts, their hospital stays are shorter, stress hormone levels decline, they sleep well, they have improved signs of life, and they need fewer pain medicines. Creative dedication boosts activity within the brain, which plays an important role in alleviating pain, known as periaqueductal grey or PAG. An innovative approach also appears to counter other pain symptoms, such as memory, mood changes, and social isolation.
Contact Dr. Robinson if you wish to go for the healing art therapy and manage your pain through your heart. We are located in OKC.
**Disclaimer: This content should not be considered medical advice and does not imply a doctor-patient relationship.
