Abstract

Hypertension is a prevalent health concern among professionals, often exacerbated by high stress and demanding work conditions. This study explores the effectiveness of Indian Raaga- based Music Therapy (IRMT) in reducing blood pressure and stress among hypertensive individuals from both IT and non-IT sectors. Conducted as a randomized controlled trial, the research involved 67 participants aged 35 to 58 years, who were divided into an IRMT group that listened to specific Indian Classical Raagas and a control group. The intervention comprised 45-minute music sessions, split into three 15-minute sessions each day, five days a week, over six weeks. The results showed a significant 10% reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressure in the IRMT group, with a two-sided p-value of 0.0001 for both pretest and between- group comparisons. Stress levels decreased by 21%, shifting from a pre-test mean of 43.2±11.4 to 34.2±12.5 post-intervention, with a p-value of 0.0001 and a between-group p-value of 0.02. Symptoms of hypertension, measured using the Hypertension Symptom Detection Questionnaire, dropped from 9.6±4.5 to 6.1±3.8 (p = 0.0001). Additionally, the anger trait associated with emotional imbalances, reflected in the Vikruti Tri-Dosha Diagnostic Scale, reduced from 2.9±0.3 to 1.2±0.4 (p = 0.0001) for predominantly Pitta, Vata-Pitta, or Pitta- Kapha body types, as analyzed by the Prototype Prkriti Analysis Tool (PPAT). With an average attendance rate of 89%, these findings suggest that IRMT could be an effective non- pharmacological approach to managing hypertension and fostering emotional healing.