There is a lot fascinating research going right now about playing an instrument in terms of general health. To listen to music provides benefits, but the more involved you become, the more the benefits seem to accrue through playing an instrument. It's much more effective than merely listening to the instrument. They know that it can coordinate both halves of your mind. It increases the communication through the corpus callosum. Depending on the music, it can energize or involve the whole brain and not just the hearing section or the visual section. It may help in terms of the immune response. Again, not just because it effects the emotions, but the emotions can effect your immune system. That music can move you emotionally means that it can also move you in terms of health and pain management, expanding your skills to deal with health and life.