The practice of using sound to promote mental and physical well-being

goes back at least 40,000 years

to indigenous Australians playing wind instruments called didgeridoos.
Today, many forms of

sound therapy

are practiced worldwide. Here’s a look at some of them.

Music therapy

The best-known, most structured, and most researched type of sound therapy
is

music therapy.

Music therapy can involve writing, playing, listening to, and/or discussing
music as well as singing and/or dancing. Sessions can be either one-on-one
with a therapist or group-based, and they are conducted in a variety of
settings, including therapists’ offices, community health centers,
hospitals, physical therapy practices, rehabilitation facilities, long-term
care facilities, and even prisons.

Music therapy serves as a mood-enhancing practice that assists individuals
in

coping with various mental and physical health conditions, including:

• Mental health disorders
• Insomnia
• Headaches
• Chronic pain
• Diabetes
• Cardiac conditions
• Cancer
• Respiratory problems
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Rehabilitating from an injury or medical procedure

Research suggests

that music therapy can be beneficial when combined with other treatments
such as talk therapy and medication.

Sound baths

Just as a regular bath immerses you in water, a

sound bath

immerses you in soothing sound waves. The sounds usually come from
instruments that can produce long, resonant tones. These include gongs,

singing bowls, drums,

tuning forks, and didgeridoos.

Sound baths typically last anywhere from five minutes to an hour, and can be
experienced in a group setting, one-on-one with a practitioner, or by
yourself using a digital recording.

An observational study

of Tibetan singing bowl meditation found that it had a positive effect on
the subjects’ mood, tension, anxiety, physical pain, and spiritual
well-being.

Vibroacoustic therapy

This unique approach to sound therapy uses sound to generate vibrations
directed at your body. The vibrations usually come from speakers embedded in
furniture, such as chairs or benches. They can also can come from other
devices, such as one that

resembles a backpack

and produces vibrations that coincide with the music playing through your
headphones.

A

small study

of female fibromyalgia patients found that vibroacoustic therapy reduced
their pain, increased their range of motion, and allowed them to sleep
better.

Binaural beat therapy

Binaural beat therapy

uses different sound frequencies played in the ears. The tone is called the
binaural beat.

Several studies on binaural beat therapy have found it has health benefits,
especially related to anxiety, mood, and performance. However, this sound
therapy approach is still

considered to be experimental

by medical professionals and should not replace traditional treatments.

To create a binaural beat, the tones must have frequencies of less than
1,000 hertz and differ from each other by no more than 30 hertz. Many
binaural beats are available

online

for listening.

Various forms of sound therapy are used to address a wide range of mental
and physical health issues. While studies suggest that they may be
effective, more research is needed to fully understand their benefits.
Still, it may be worth trying sound therapy as a supplementary treatment to
determine if it’s helpful for you.