Drumming Can Be Therapeutic

YouTuber MrFasthands65 has uploaded over one thousand videos of himself drumming over popular songs, but Lou, as he’s known beyond his YouTube handle, doesn’t necessarily play the drums out of a love of music. He plays the drums to combat a rare autoimmune disorder called chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIPD). This neurological condition causes numbness and pain in the limbs and imbalance when walking. Lou has found that drumming helps relieve his symptoms.

The research behind drumming as an effective treatment for different symptoms is growing. According to research on the topic, drumming causes something called hemispheric synchronization, where both sides of the brain work together at the same time. The brain typically operates with either the left or right side independently, cycling from one side to the other in 20 minute increments. Scientists believe hemispheric synchronization is the basis of transcendent states of consciousness, such as those achieved during tantric meditation. It is then that people feel simultaneously energized and relaxed, two opposite emotions at the same time. Drumming has also been known to increase the presence of T-cells in blood, relieve some symptoms suffered by patients who have Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s and autism, and reverse our genetic responses to stress. These benefits make drumming not only a fun hobby, but also one that is beneficial to your well being.