Music as Medicine: How Songs Are Easing Pain in Hospitals and Beyond
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Listening to a favorite song may do more than lift your spirits – it could actually reduce your pain. Over the past two decades, a growing body of research has revealed the powerful connection between music and pain management, leading to increased use of live performances and recorded music in healthcare settings.
Nurse Rod Salaysay embodies this trend at UC San Diego Health, where he utilizes a unique toolkit alongside traditional medical instruments. He works with a thermometer, a stethoscope, and, notably, his guitar and ukulele to help patients cope with post-surgical discomfort. Salaysay offers tunes on request and sometimes sings, drawing from a repertoire that spans folk songs in English and Spanish, classical pieces like Minuet in G Major, and beloved movie soundtracks such as “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Patients often respond with smiles, nods, and even measurable changes in vital signs – lower heart rates and blood pressure – with some requesting reduced pain medication.
“There’s often a cycle of worry, pain, anxiety in a hospital,” Salaysay explained, “but you can help break that cycle with music.”
The Science Behind Music-Induced Analgesia
The healing power of music isn’t simply anecdotal. Scientists are increasingly focused on understanding music-induced analgesia – the phenomenon of how music can diminish both acute and chronic pain. While the intuitive link between music and well-being has long been recognized, the underlying science is only now beginning to catch up.
Recent studies published in journals like Pain and Scientific Reports suggest that listening to music can either lessen the perception of pain or increase a person’s tolerance to it. However, experts emphasize that music isn’t a cure-all. “No one suggests that a catchy song can fully eliminate serious pain,” one researcher noted. What appears to be crucial is patient agency – allowing individuals, or their families, to choose music they enjoy and listen attentively, rather than simply having it play in the background.
How Pain Works – and Where Music Intervenes
Understanding how music impacts pain requires a grasp of the pain experience itself. According to Adam Hanley, a psychologist at Florida State University, “Pain is a really complex experience. It’s created by a physical sensation, and by our thoughts about that sensation and emotional reaction to it.”
The intensity of pain can vary significantly between individuals with the same condition, or even within the same person on different days. Acute pain is triggered by immediate stimuli – like touching a hot stove – and processed quickly by the brain. Chronic pain, however, involves long-term changes in brain structure that heighten sensitivity to pain signals. “Pain is interpreted and translated by the brain,” explained Dr. Gilbert Chandler, a specialist in chronic spinal pain at the Tallahassee Orthopedic Clinic, “which may ratchet the signal up or down.”
Researchers have found that music can divert attention from pain, providing temporary relief. But the impact goes deeper. Caroline Palmer, a psychologist at McGill University, emphasized, “Music is a distractor. It draws your focus away from the pain. But it’s doing more than that.” Studies indicate that engaging with preferred music activates nearly all areas of the brain, altering the perception and experience of pain, as well as reducing feelings of isolation and anxiety, according to Kate Richards Geller, a registered music therapist in Los Angeles.
Genre Doesn’t Matter – Preference Does
The use of music for pain relief dates back to the late 19th century, even before the advent of local anesthetics. Today, researchers are investigating which musical conditions are most effective. A study conducted at Erasmus University Rotterdam in the Netherlands, involving 548 participants, examined the impact of five genres – classical, rock, pop, urban, and electronic – on pain tolerance, measured by exposure to cold temperatures.
The results revealed that all genres provided some benefit, but no single genre emerged as superior. “The more people listened to a favorite genre, the more they could endure pain,” stated Dr. Emy van der Valk Bouman, a co-author of the study. Contrary to popular belief, classical music didn’t necessarily outperform other genres. “Actually, we are finding more evidence that what’s best is just the music you like.” This suggests that the emotional connection to a song, fueled by memories and associations, plays a significant role.
The power of choice is also paramount. Claire Howlin, director of the Music and Health Psychology Lab at Trinity College Dublin, co-authored a study demonstrating that allowing patients to select their own music improved their pain tolerance. “It’s one thing that people can have control over if they have a chronic condition — it gives them agency,” she said.
A “Positive Emotional Bump” for the Brain
Preliminary research suggests that consistent, focused listening can even reduce chronic pain. Hanley’s team at Florida State University found that “Music has a way of lighting up different parts of the brain,” providing “this positive emotional bump that takes their mind away from the pain.”
Some doctors now describe music as a “simple prescription with no side effects.” Cecily Gardner, a jazz singer in California, shared her personal experience, stating, “Music reduces stress, fosters community, and just transports you to a better place.”
As research continues to illuminate the intricate relationship between music and the brain, the potential for harnessing its therapeutic power to alleviate suffering is becoming increasingly clear.
