Sound Therapy - any real life experiences?

[Scouse]

I've been looking into Sound Therapy recently (long story) & have read a couple of books on the subject.

The books make it appear fantastic but then they're also spruiking something they sell.

It all sounds too good to be true so I'm wondering if anyone on here has actually used this to good effect?

Or is it just snake oil?
:(

[KarlB]

Are you talking "Mozart Effect" or something else?

Cheers
KarlB
:)

[Scouse]

I've never heard of the Mozart Effect but Sound Therapy involves the use of filtered classical music to cure all sorts of things.

Tinnitus, Tinnitus Treatment, Tomatis Therapy, Tinnitus Care - Sound Therapy (http://www.soundtherapy.com.au/v3/)

[Scouse]

Hmm, they seem to be linked to the same person :angel:.

[miky]

The "products" are pretty expensive (IMO) so I would prefer to find someone who has actually tried them with positive results - which I guess is what you are trying to do.


.

[SimonM]

My mother in law tried pushing it onto us and she uses it to help her to listen better. Now if we take her listening abilities as evidence of it's effectiveness then I would say definitely snake oil :cool: .

I have not seen any relevant studies to suggest that it is effective but have seen some that suggest that it alone produces little significant change certainly in the treatment of tinnitus, autism and ADHD.

But if it works for you then it is effective.

[Chucaro]

I think that the sound inside my Defender will be more effective :p

[KarlB]

Yes, they are related and Alfred Tomatis was the first to describe the Mozart Effect. Wikipedia is reasonably informative on this stuff. It probably is snake oil but the key issue is "does it work for you". It matters not if it is a placebo effect. I guess an important issue is cost and I am sure the salesmen are rubbing their hands with glee. It is my understanding that the basis of the all contempory sound therapy is classical music, and Mozart sonatas in particular. The sonatas are cheap enough to buy on a CD or you could even pirate something off the net and see if you get some relief from listening, before shelling out the hard earned.

A particularly good book relating to music and brain function is Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks (see http://www.oliversacks.com/books/musicophilia/ (http://www.oliversacks.com/books/musicophilia/)). The book is currently in print and would be easy to obtain. Sacks is a neurologist. He writes in a very easy to read style that is not too technical. He is probably most well known for his collection of essays called "The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat". Well worth looking at for a better understanding of music/brain function issues.


Cheers
KarlB
:)

[Scouse]

One concern is that the books I've read seem to be a few years old as they refer to the cassettes being preferable over digital music. They go into how tapes result in a more pure sound & digital loses it's effectiveness.

However, check out the current websites selling the kits & they've now gone digital :confused:.



Surely they wouldn't contradict themselves like that..........

[justinc]

Scouse, is this worth investigating?

Home - Relaxation and rejuvenation through vibration (http://www.quietcone.com/)

We stayed at their B&B recently and the idea seemed, err, SOUND?

JC

[Scouse]

Maybe I should point out that this isn't for me. It's for someone considerably younger than me & sitting still isn't a practical option :(.

Mind you, I reckon he'd love the gongs !!
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2010/11/815.jpg

[p38arover]

If it helped with my tinnitus, I'd love it.

[Scouse]

OK, you buy it & use it first.



Oh, that won't work :p.

[Milkman Dan]

Con-job, pure and simple.

I'll bet there are no independent studies done, no trails, just testimonials.

There is no cure for tinnitus, just ways of dealing with it. Pity.

I use mind tricks on myself ( trained myself to ignore it, works for a while then thanks to some one mentioning the bloody thing I start hearing again :censored:) ,
have some low music, TV, radio in the background helps masks the whine.

[Redback]

OK I have have a bit of knowledge of this, apparently Baroque music is used in sound theropy, it supposed to calm and sooth the mind, which help all sorts of conditions from depression to anger management/stress, we were advised that it can help.

An hour of Black Sabbath will do it for me;) although there ain't much stress in my life right now.

so here ya go an excample

BioWaves Sound Therapy is a new alternative therapy which is researching the effects of low frequency sound and vibration on human health and wellness. Researchers who have studied the effects of frequency, sound, light, color, and vibration include Royal Rife with his Rife Frequencies, Abhram's Multiple Wave Oscillator, Robert Monroe with audio binaural beats, Dr. Hans Jenny and Dr. Guy Manners with their work on Cymatics (http://www.aulro.com/afvb/Products/Books/#Cymatics), Vladimir Gavreau's sonic weapons using infrasound, and Tomatis who associates learning ability with listening ability and clear hearing. The list is endless since frequency research is a fundamental to most every subject.

Sound Therapy is a new exciting field with the potential to completely shift our heath care paradigms. It offers a simple technique to get very detailed holographic information about the body, and is boundless in its potential ramifications.
The Effects of Sound

The effects of sound are apparent in our every day life... For example, we experience the energizing effect of sound and music every time we hear music with a heavy beat. Just think of the last time you heard a favorite dance hit and couldn't help but to start dancing along.

For example, the Bulgarian Psychiatrist, Gorgi Lazanoff was able to show an increased capacity for learning, super learning, if you will, by playing Baroque music (1700's Bach, Vivaldi, Telemon, Handle) and having his students breathe in rhythm with the beat. It all goes to show that sound and music can have a profound effect on our health, and well being, not only physically, but also mentally and emotionally as well.
We know the power of sound and music and that the voice changes with emotional states or illness. Our health or mood can be strongly affected by music, toning, chanting, and singing. Just think back to the last time a sick or distraught friend called and remember how their voice was different than normal. Sound research supports this.

[KarlB]

For example, the Bulgarian Psychiatrist, Gorgi Lazanoff was able to show an increased capacity for learning, super learning, if you will, by playing Baroque music (1700's Bach, Vivaldi, Telemon, Handle) and having his students breathe in rhythm with the beat.

This assertion is wide spread on the internet in alternate medicine sites but I can find no evidence of Lazanoff actually making this claim. No one seems to cite any essay, book, or scientific paper written by him. Indeed I could find no real evidence that Bulgarian Psychiatrist, Gorgi Lazanoff ever existed! I am an agnostic on these things and would welcome my ignorance being lifted.

Cheers
KarlB
:twisted:

[Redback]

This assertion is wide spread on the internet in alternate medicine sites but I can find no evidence of Lazanoff actually making this claim. No one seems to cite any essay, book, or scientific paper written by him. Indeed I could find no real evidence that Bulgarian Psychiatrist, Gorgi Lazanoff ever existed! I am an agnostic on these things and would welcome my ignorance being lifted.

Cheers
KarlB
:twisted:

The music is free off the internet to download, so it ain't gonna cost anything, so it can't hurt, worst that can happen is he learns to like the music;)

[alittlebitconcerned]

I don't know if this helps but a mate of mine was tied to a chair and beat senseless during an armed hold up. As you can imagine he had a time getting over it and one of the things that he said really help was sound therapy. Don't know any more than that about the therapy. Good luck.

[KarlB]

The music is free off the internet to download, so it ain't gonna cost anything, so it can't hurt, worst that can happen is he learns to like the music;)


I agree completely. It is the pseudo-science and quackery that irks me.

Cheers
KarlB
:)

[ramblingboy42]

yeah sound therapy really works, next time you open your favourite can, do it close to your ear and I bet as you hear the click then the rush of gas escaping that you cant help releasing a huge mob of pherimones and huge smile forming on your face.......

[Hoges]

I've been looking into Sound Therapy recently (long story) & have read a couple of books on the subject.

The books make it appear fantastic but then they're also spruiking something they sell.

It all sounds too good to be true so I'm wondering if anyone on here has actually used this to good effect?

Or is it just snake oil?
:(

My Missus has suffered from tinnitus for about 30 yrs ... sometimes it's worse than others - her sleep patterns can become severely disrupted and it is generally debilitating for her. There seems to be no long lasting means of alleviating the symptoms. She has never been subjected to excessive noise in the workplace or elsewhere and the ENT bloke(s)/blokesses believe it may have resulted from a nasty middle ear infection she contracted somehow years ago and which took ages to get rid of.

Desperate to try "anything" she finally signed up with Sound Therapy International (about 15 yrs ago) and bought the original tapes and a Walkman-type device ..I recall it was a Panasonic. After about 4 weeks of constant use but there was a significant benefit...as measured by improved sleep, less "buzz" in her ears during the day and an improved ability to concentrate. Plus if we were going anywhere we might expect loud noise ( family weddings/school formals/18th/21st etc) she took a pair of foam ear plugs. For long flights a set of noise cancelling headphones also helped.

The tapes have been well and truly used and she is considering a switch to digital ... There's no doubt a plateau is reached where continued use produces much diminished improvement, so she lets it go for a few weeks then starts again for another few weeks.
The tinnitus is not cured...but it's become more manageable.

STI's revised position on the suitability of digital format ...and I am only speculating ...may be because with modern CD/DVD portable players, the bit sampling rates are significantly improved and so are much closer to the analogue originals... just a guess

hope this helps
cheers
A.

Note: I have taken to wearing noise cancelling headphones on long trips by myself in the Rangie esp when I drive with the window open...excellent!) I don't connect them to the stero, just use them to drown the constant wind noise etc...can still hear the music etc!