Cut down on the painkillers by listening to your favourite tunes after surgery, as music appears to be effective in reducing pain and anxiety post-operation. — AFP
Music is far more than just entertainment.
The scientific community is well aware of this, and is increasingly interested in the benefits of this art form, particularly in terms of pain management.
In fact, listening to music after surgery could be a simple way of easing patients’ pain.
A research team at the California Northstate University in the United States, led by Dr Eldo Frezza, came to this conclusion after analysing the findings of 35 studies on the impact of music on pain, anxiety, heart rate and morphine use after surgery.
Each of these studies involved, on average, a hundred people who had just undergone abdominal or bone-related surgery.
Half of the volunteers listened to a variety of musical genres after their procedure.
The duration of listening varied from study to study, with some patients listening to music for half an hour, and others throughout their hospital stay.
Those in the control group, on the other hand, listened to no music following their surgery.
The results speak for themselves: music seemed to reduce the level of pain felt by patients by an average of around 20%.
Volunteers who listened to music also needed half as much morphine while in hospital as those who didn’t, according to New Scientist magazine, which reported the study findings.
What’s more, the researchers also found that music significantly soothed patients after their procedure.
It reduced their heart rate by 4.5 beats per minute and lowered their anxiety levels by 2.5 points on a scale of 20 to 80.
All these virtues are linked to the fact that the brain can secrete neurotransmitters, such as serotonin or dopamine, when listening to a pleasant piece of music.
In fact, numerous studies have shown that music has multiple positive effects.
Many people experience this on a daily basis, listening to a particular piece of music to divert our attention from the negative emotions we may be feeling, for example.
The medical world has understood this, and increasingly uses music to soothe patients during certain surgical and therapeutic procedures, as well as during childbirth.
And surprisingly, classical music is not necessarily the most effective option.
In fact, listening to a song that’s close to your heart can counteract the pain you may feel after surgery. – AFP Relaxnews
