Some of the first things I noticed in New York City were very popular and all in black and white. These items seemed to be staples of those who rushed by on the busy streets.  As I walked Fifth Avenue on my very first visit to the Big Apple, I observed that almost everyone wore a thick black coat. It was mid-November, unusually warm for that time of year. As a non-native who didn’t get the memo, I wore a muted pink Moto jacket. The other essential item was a white pair of headphones. The vertical cords outlined the faces, acting as a lifeline from the music source to the ears of the New Yorkers. I tried to read facial expressions to guess the audio being consumed. I was unsuccessful. It was a reminder that despite appearance, not everything is black and white, in this case the motivation behind so many pairs of headphones.

Realizing the headphones were another thing that distinguished me from the masses, I started wondering about their prevalence. What was it coursing through those white metal veins that propelled people through the crowded, shadowed streets? Skyscrapers and clouds muted the sunlight. Was that one reason why people were attached to their headphones? Audio stimulation to compensate for a lack of sunlight or enough warmth? Respite from the noise or their hectic lives? I’d like to think I saw at least one Broadway performer who was listening to tracks as a warmup for the evening’s performance. Whatever the reason, the right sounds can make a significant impact in everyday life.

In a holistic setting, sound and vibration therapy is called vibroacoustic therapy. Vibroacoustic therapy uses sound to produce vibrations that are applied directly to the body.[i] Low frequencies and therapeutic music is projected through transducers in a customized mat, bed, table or chair. The frequencies/music are felt as vibrations and heard as sound. The adult human body is made up of 55%-70% of water. The theory is that sound travels four times more efficiently through water than through air. The speed of sound in pure water is 1,498 meters per second, compared to 343 meters per second in air at room temperature and pressure.[ii] Therefore, sound frequency stimulation into an object (in this case the human body) is an efficient means for total body stimulation.

The stimulation affects multiple areas of the body, most importantly in the nervous system. The vibrations affect nerve bundles along the spine, up into the brain stem and through the limbic system. The limbic system is a collection of structures in the brain that supports many functions including emotion, behavior, motivation, long-term memory and smell. The sound stimulates the medulla in the brain stem and activates the auditory nerve, signaling the release of mood-enhancing chemicals. This means relaxation for all the body’s muscles and tissues, as well as increased circulation. According to “7 Health Benefits of Vibroacoustic (Sound & Vibration) Therapy” by Deb Wellmes, MA, SLP, ND, some other positive responses to Vibroacoustic Therapy may include:

• Lower blood pressure
• Reduced pain
• Reduced anxiety
• Shortened Healing Periods
• Increased Sleep Quality
• Increased Sense of Calm

[i] http://www.vibroacoustictherapy.com

[ii] https://sciencing.com/water-affect-sound-8510076.html