Pain Management, Music, and Childbirth
Music is perhaps one of the most versatile tools at our disposal as it has so many uses and applications for any number of potential ailments that plague humanity. It can help restore memory, reduce stress, and make learning easier. Music, it seems, can also be useful when bringing other people into this world as a pain management tool. It truly seems that the more we learn about just how much music can help when applied to multiple aspects of our lives the less we truly understand. It is not difficult to imagine that despite all the information regarding the uses of music that we have at our disposal it is merely the tip of the iceberg.
Childbirth is quite painful and while the world debates on whether or not it is the most painful thing we will be looking at it from a pain management perspective. There are many ways to manage the pain associated with pregnancy, labor, and childbirth, both before during the actual birthing process. Depending on what is needed anything from medication to moving around will be of help. Some birthing facilities even make use of soft music as a pain management resource to help decrease the amount of pain felt.
Over the past twenty years or so the use of music to help manage pain during childbirth has been explored. Music can be utilized in a variety of ways to help with this. The most obvious way is to use music to help the expecting mother relax and to provide another slimily to attend to during labor and the birthing process. Another method is a little more involved as it entails utilizing exercise methods in conjunction with music, a sort of music therapy exercise if you will. The practice itself (using music therapy exercises) yielded relatively good results as both a pain management and stress management technique during both labor and birth.