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Therapeutic Drumming
December
2002
Unlike
drumming in drum circles or for performances, there is no natural competition in
therapeutic drumming. There is no need to try and remember hand movements and
rhythms, or concentrate on keeping up with other drummers. When the brain gives
up trying to control the rhythm, you allow the rhythm to enter your body and the
drumming starts to have a healing effect. It’s like an active meditation and
the benefits are numerous:
 | Decreases
stress: stress levels
drop when body tension, emotional turmoil and mental fatigue are soothed and
the alpha waves in your brain are increased.
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| Natural
feel-good drug:
like any other exercise, drumming increases the heart rate and blood flow,
resulting in an endorphin high. |
| Boosts
levels of growth hormones |
| Boosts
immune system: sound
waves affect the body’s cell growth and recovery time (think of ultrasound
used for healing scar tissue and reducing inflammation). Scientists have
also proven that drumming increases the activity of Natural Killer Cells
(the cells that seek out and destroy cancer cells and viruses). |
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Trauma release:
emotional trauma is allowed a natural vent. |
| Active
meditation: by mimicking
the heartbeat, you’ll find questions are answered and problems solved as
the intuitive right brain takes over from the logic-driven left brain.
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| Chronic
illnesses: sound
therapies have been shown to create new neural pathways in the brain at any
age, bypassing the damaged pathways. Drumming is now being used as a
therapeutic tool to help Parkinson’s Disease sufferers control movement,
as well as helping Alzheimer’s patients improve their focus, short-term
memory and increase their social interaction. It’s also used to help
autistic children communicate and interact, as well as improve the attention
spans of children with Attention Deficit Disorders.
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