Benefits of Music Therapy for Neurologic Movement Disorders, Brain Injury and Stroke

Physical Goals

  • Improves fine and gross motor skills
  • Improves mobility and coordination of movement
  • Enhances visual motor skills
  • Improves verbal and communication skills
  • Provides means of distraction and temporary relief from pain and discomfort
  • Increases relaxation and releases tension in the body
Brain Injury. Stroke. Find Your Voice Music Therapy. Nova Scotia, Ontario, Canada

Emotional Goals

  • Addresses positive changes in emotional states
  • Increases confidence and self-esteem
  • Reduces agitation, aggression, stress, anxiety, and depression
  • Increases empowerment and control
  • Develops coping strategies

Cognitive Goals

  • Provides cognitive stimulation to multiple brain areas and neural pathways
  • Triggers release of hormones serotonin, oxytocin, and dopamine
  • Enhances recall and language skills
  • Enhances visual perception and sensory processing
Music Therapist with Client Playing Tambourine
Brain Injury. Stroke. Find Your Voice Music Therapy. Nova Scotia, Ontario, Canada

Social Goals

• Promotes community, social interaction, and group cohesion
• Increases awareness to the environment and others
• Enhances social and emotional skills
• Decreases behaviour problems (ie. confusion, agitation, aggression, anxiety)
• Increases attention and focus through the structure in music
• Enhances turn taking, listening, and sharing skills
• Addresses academic and life skills

Spiritual Goals

• Enhances faith and spirituality
• Promotes creative and self expression when verbal and mental abilities may be deteriorating
• Provides support, acknowledgement, and validation of beliefs, values, thoughts, and ideas