The Role of Music and Music Therapy in Cardiac Rehabilitation

Abstract

Muzikoterapija je profesija koja je postala dio sveobuhvatne medicinske prakse te se provodi u suradnji i dogovoru s ostalim članovima medicinskog tima kao dio cjelokupne rehabilitacije bolesnika. U programu kardiovaskularne rehabilitacije (KVR) muzikoterapeut je član kardiološkoga tima, sudjeluje u svakoj fazi skrbi za bolesnike i pomaže u procesu održavanja dobrog zdravlja srca. Pri KVR-u najčešće se rabi receptivna muzikoterapija koja podrazumijeva aktivno i usredotočeno slušanje odabrane glazbe radi postizanja terapijskih ciljeva. Suvremena muzikoterapijska praksa temeljena na dokazima naglašava važnost bolesnikova izbora glazbe koji osigurava najučinkovitiji tretman, a primjena muzikoterapije ponajprije je usmjerena na smirenje, ublažavanje i smanjivanje stresa i tjeskobe te poboljšanje raspoloženja. Sustavna i ciljana primjena glazbe učinkovita je psihološka intervencija čiji se učinci odražavaju i na fiziološke ishode poput snižavanja vrijednosti arterijskog tlaka i frekvencije srca. Ovi se učinci pripisuju aktivnosti mozga i autonomnoga živčanog sustava, ali odnos između glazbenih značajki i aktivnosti autonomnoga živčanog sustava još nije potpuno jasan. Daljnje studije tek trebaju odgovoriti na pitanja o ograničenjima, kao i preporukama za primjenu ove vrste intervencije u okviru programa kardiovaskularne rehabilitacije.Music therapy has become a part of comprehensive medical practice conducted in cooperation and in agreement with other members of the medical team as part of the overall rehabilitation of patients. Within the scope of cardiac rehabilitation (CR), the music therapist is a member of the cardiology team who participates in each phase of patient care and assists in the process of maintaining good heart health. The most common type of music therapy used in CR is receptive music therapy, which involves active and focused listening to selected music in order to achieve therapeutic goals. Contemporary, evidence-based music therapy emphasizes the importance of the patient\u27s choice of music that ensures the most effective treatment. Here, the use of music therapy is primarily aimed at calming, alleviating and reducing stress and anxiety, as well as improving mood. Systematic and targeted use of music is an effective psychological intervention whose effects are reflected in physiological outcomes, such as lowering of arterial blood pressure and heart rate. These effects are attributed to the brain and autonomic nervous system activity; however, the relationship between musical characteristics and the autonomic nervous system activity is still not entirely clear. Further studies are needed to provide answers to questions regarding limitations, as well as recommendations for using this kind of intervention in cardiac rehabilitation programs