Nurse Rod Salesay works with all kinds of tools in the hospital: a thermometer, a stethoscope, and sometimes his guitar and ukulele.
At UC San Diego Health’s resuscitation unit, Salaysay helps patients manage things Pain after surgery. Along with medications, it offers On-demand ringtones And sometimes he sings. His repertoire ranges from popular songs in English and Spanish to Minuet in G Major and film favorites such as “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”
Patients often smile or nod. Salesay even sees changes in his vital signs such as lower heart rate and blood pressure, and some may require less pain medication.
“There is often a cycle of anxiety, pain and anxiety in hospital, but you can help break that cycle with music,” he said.
Salaysay is a one-man band, but he’s not alone. Over the past two decades, live performances and recorded music have flowed into hospitals and doctors’ offices as research into how songs can help relieve pain has grown.
the Healing power The song may seem counterintuitive given the music’s deep roots in human culture. But the science around whether and how music relieves acute and chronic pain — technically called music-induced analgesia — is just catching up.
No one is suggesting that a catchy song can completely eliminate serious pain. But several recent studies, including in journals pain and Scientific reportsThey suggested that listening to music can reduce the perception of pain or enhance a person’s ability to tolerate it.
What seems most important is that patients — or their families — make the music selections themselves and listen to it intently, not just as background noise.
“Pain is a really complex experience,” says Adam Hanley, a psychologist at Florida State University. “It is created by a physical sensation, and by our thoughts about that sensation and our emotional reaction to it.”
Two people with the same condition or injury may experience vastly different levels of acute or chronic pain. Or the same person may experience pain differently from day to day.
Acute pain is felt when pain receptors in a specific part of the body — such as a hand touching a hot stove — send signals to the brain, which processes short-term pain. Chronic pain usually involves long-term structural or other changes in the brain, which increases overall sensitivity to pain signals. Researchers are still investigating how this happens.
“Pain is interpreted and translated by the brain,” which can cause the signal to turn up or down, said Dr. Gilbert Chandler, who specializes in chronic spinal pain at Tallahassee Orthopedic Clinic.
Researchers know that music can distract from pain, reducing sensation. But studies also show that listening to favorite music helps relieve pain more than listening to podcasts.
“Music is distracting,” says Carolyn Palmer, a psychologist at McGill University who studies music and pain. “It takes your focus away from the pain. But it does more than that.”
Scientists are still tracking the different neural pathways at work, Palmer said.
“We know that almost all of the brain becomes active when we engage in music,” said Kate Richards-Geller, a registered music therapist in Los Angeles. “This changes the perception and experience of pain – and the isolation and anxiety of pain.”
The idea of using recorded music to relieve pain associated with dental surgery began in the late 19th century before local anesthesia was available. Researchers today study the conditions that make music most effective.
Researchers at Erasmus University Rotterdam in the Netherlands studied 548 participants to find out how they listen to five Types of music – Classical, rock, pop, urban, electronic – Their ability to tolerate acute pain, as measured by exposure to extremely cold temperatures, increased.
All the music helped, but there was no single winning genre.
“The more people listen to the preferred genre, the greater their pain tolerance,” said co-author Dr. Amy van der Valk Bowman. “A lot of people thought classical music would help them more. In fact, we found more evidence that only the music you like is best.”
She added that the exact reasons are still unclear, but it may be that familiar songs activate more memories and emotions.
said Clare Howlin, director of the Music and Health Psychology Laboratory at Trinity College Dublin, who co-authored a study that suggests Allow patients to choose songs Improve pain tolerance.
“It’s one thing people can control if they have a chronic condition, it gives them strength,” she said.
Active and focused listening also seems to be important.
Hanley, a psychologist at Florida State, co-authored a preliminary study that suggests Daily mindful listening May reduce chronic pain.
“Music has a way of lighting up different parts of the brain, so you’re giving people this positive emotional pulse that takes their mind off the pain,” he said.
It’s a simple prescription and has no side effects, some doctors now say.
Cecily Gardner, a jazz singer in Culver City, California, said she used music to help cope with a serious illness and sang for friends in pain.
“Music reduces stress, strengthens community, and transports you to a better place,” she said.
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