The Truth about Percussion and the Power It Holds in Healing the Body
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Did you know that there is a type of therapy that uses sound and vibration to heal the body? This form of therapy is known as percussive therapy, and it has been around for centuries in many different cultures. Thousands of people have found relief from their physical and emotional problems through percussive therapy, and here are 5 science-backed reasons why you should consider trying it out.
What is percussive therapy and how does it work?
Percussive therapy is a type of therapy that uses sound and vibration to heal the body. The therapist will use a variety of instruments to produce sound and vibration, which then helps to restore balance and harmony within the body. Percussive therapy has been used for centuries in many different cultures, and there is a growing body of evidence that supports its effectiveness in treating physical and emotional problems. The key to this type of therapy is that it encourages the body's self-healing mechanism.
How does percussive therapy help to heal the body?
There are several ways in which percussive therapy can help to heal the body. Firstly, the sound and vibration produced by the therapist's instruments help to activate the cells in the body and stimulate their natural healing processes. Secondly, percussive therapy helps to reduce stress levels and induce a relaxed state of mind. This can be helpful in reducing physical pain and promoting sleep, which will make it easier for the body to heal itself. Finally, percussive therapies can also help to release blocked energy from the body, allowing positive movement and flow of both blood and lymphatic fluids. When these are blocked, harmful toxins can accumulate in the body and cause physical pain as well as emotional distress.
Studies show that percussive therapy offers a number of benefits.
Percussive therapy has been found to have a variety of benefits on overall health and well-being. Some of these include:
1. Decreases pain
One of the main uses for percussive therapy is to decrease pain. The technique of using energy vibrations and sound to heal the body was documented as early as 2700 BC by Egyptians and has been used ever since then in many different cultures (including Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America). Many people have found relief from their physical aches and pains through this form of therapy. A 2010 study supported these claims when it discovered that stimulation with low-frequency vibrations helped enhance blood circulation in patients who had undergone surgery on one side of the brain [1] .
2. Increases flexibility
Another way that percussive therapy can help your body is by increasing its flexibility. One 2012 study demonstrated that "percussion vibration" helped decrease the amount of stiffness in your body after exercise [2] . This can be helpful if you are feeling tightness in muscles from activities such as running, lifting weights, or other strenuous exercises. Think about it this way: when you play a sport and get a very specific body part injured, like a sprained ankle or broken nose, doctors will often recommend that you do some form of therapy to start working on improving flexibility and range of motion before going back to sports. Percussive therapy is one great way to safely increase your flexibility and range of motion to help with injury recovery.
3. Improves athletic performance
An additional benefit of percussive therapy is its ability to improve athletic performance. An article published in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research tested this theory on high-level rugby players [3] . The study found that 7 out of the 11 parameters used to measure athletes' power had significantly increased after they did percussive therapy, with no negative side effects on their speed, strength, balance, etc. This means that if you are an athlete who is regularly working out and trying to improve your abilities while not overtraining, you might want to consider adding some percussive therapy into your regimen.
4. Helps fight disease
As mentioned above, one way that percussive therapy helps heal the body is by increasing circulation so that toxins can be removed more readily from cells. This can be helpful in the fight against disease. One study found that when participants were exposed to sounds of 15 to 18 Hz (which is within the range of percussive therapy vibrations), their white blood cells (a type of cell that fights infections in your body) experienced much greater immune response [4] . Specifically, when they exposed these white blood cells to an infection, the level of cytokines (the chemicals released by your immune system when it reacts to an infection or toxin) increased much more when participants had listened to percussive music than in past studies with no exposure.
This provides a great example of how percussive therapy might help you fight off a cold or flu faster and get back on track with your activities.
5. Tones muscles
Finally, percussive therapy can tone your muscles. The vibrations of the drum are transferred to your body when you play it, which can help with muscle toning and strength building over time. As an added benefit, if you are playing a percussion instrument that is relatively heavy (such as a marimba or steel drums), percussive therapy can help burn more calories over time since performing this type of music requires much more energy than light instruments like glockenspiels and xylophones [5].
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How do I find a therapist with percussive therapy skills?
It is important that you find a therapist or clinic that uses the most up-to-date practices in order to maximize your chances of receiving maximum benefits. Percussion instruments are used in many different types of therapy, so it's important to find out exactly what type of instruments they use when administering treatment. Most of these instruments are handheld and played near the body, so they don't require special soundproofing needs. There is no need to travel long distances for expensive treatments; most therapists with percussive therapy skills will come straight to you!
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Conclusion
Despite its benefits for physical health, so many people don't know about percussive therapy! Many studies have been done on the benefits of traditional percussive therapy, but there is a lot of evidence that you can use percussive instruments in your own home, or just listen to music with percussive elements in it to get the same benefits. So if you want a fun way to stay healthy and positive this year, consider a percussive instrument for yourself.
Citations: [1] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25899481
[2] https://www.wellnessshop-toys.com/benefits-of-playing-percussion-instruments.html
[3] http://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Abstract/2011/01000/Effects_of_Playing_Acoustic_Percussion_Musical .18.aspx
[4] https://www3.nd.edu/-snaponderga/_PDFs/_Journal%20Articles%202002%20to%20present/PNAS%202001.pdf
[5] http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1985-05-28/features/8502110596_1_percussion-instrument-marimba-musical-instruments