Percussion And Drumming TherapyDrumming has been, and still is, used down through history by all cultures of the world. Drumming has been a feature of ceremonies such as weddings, births, deaths & harvests etc.
However, drumming is good for relaxation, fosters a sense of unity and encourages self-expression, resulting in a more positive self-esteem. There is now evidence that drumming can have beneficial psychological benefits and can be therapeutic.
Drumming can be used in both Psychological and Physiological Applications. Some of the psychological applications in which drums are being used include assisting war veterans to release the emotional pain of post-traumatic stress disorder, releasing the pent-up anger and negative emotions of "at-risk" adolescents, and promoting health in corporate executives through releasing their day-to-day stress, in addition to many other applications.
In the medical field, the hand drumming therapy is being used to help Alzheimer's patients improve their short-term memory and increase social interaction and to help autistic children increase their attention spans. Percussion therapy is being used to aid Parkinson's patients and stroke victims to regain the control of movement or increase their gaits.
A recent study by Barry Quinn, a clinical psychologist specializing in neuro-bio-feedback for stress management, indicates that drumming for brief periods can actually change a person’s brainwave patterns, dramatically reducing stress. He has found that the effect of drumming produces far greater results than any other form of stress management.