A growing body of research studying the link between music, our brains, and pain reveals that our favorite playlists have the unique ability to alter, and even reduce, our perception of pain.
The Healing Power of Music
One simple reason for music’s pain-relieving power is that your brain becomes distracted from pain signals as it focuses on a melody or lyrics. Music is also known to stimulate several key parts of the brain, such as the limbic system, which is the center of emotional and sensory experience. Because of this, a positive association with a particular kind of music has a greater chance of evoking positive sensations.
Joanne Loewy, certified music therapist and director of the Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine at Mount Sinai Beth Israel in New York, says she has witnessed music therapy produce impressive results: “When you infuse the music of someone’s past into the present moment, you see miracles. We’ve brought people out of comas. We’ve even helped people sleep using lullabies from their past and synchronized their breathing in the moment.”
Loewy has even used gongs and bells to help blood flow in patients with sickle cell anemia, broken bones or occluded blood vessels. Vibration with a gong, she says, is an application that can enhance circulation.
We Respond Most to the Music We Enjoy
Music therapy comes in many forms, from playing an instrument, to singing or sitting back and listening to music with your eyes closed. But, what’s most important is listening to something you enjoy.
In one study, patients who listened to music they liked after surgery reported feeling less pain. Those who listened to music they didn’t enjoy reported greater pain under the same conditions. “The alleviation of pain and the reduction of anxiety which can exacerbate pain appear to be the most promising uses of music therapy,” the authors write.
A second study supports this theory. Researchers found a significant decrease in the stress hormone cortisol in postoperative patients who listened to music during recovery. Patients in the music group “experienced less stress, less pain and required less morphine than participants in the control group.”
Of course, some people love classical music, others country. That’s why Loewy recommends working with a trained music therapist, a professional who can help you determine the meaning of a particular sound or piece of music.
For instance, when Loewy plays the drum for a patient, she’ll ask: “Does this remind you of being in band in third grade, or does it drudge up a much more negative experience or memory?” These distinctions can make all the difference in a music therapy treatment.
If you’re not in need of music therapy, but enjoy singing and music, Loewy has a great suggestion — join a choir. Studies show that regularly engaging with music we enjoy stimulates our brains, releasing the good-feeling molecule dopamine, with the added benefit of beefing up our social calendars.
