Archive · 26 Oct 2025
Music Therapy Eases Pain: Studies Show Positive Results
Doctors and nurses are finding that listening to music can help people feel less pain, especially after surgery or during illness.
Nurse Rod Salaysay uses music with patients, and he notices it helps them feel better and even lowers their heart rates.
Scientists are studying how music affects the brain's pain signals.
It turns out that when patients pick their own favorite music and listen closely, it can help distract from the pain.
Listening to music can also trigger positive emotions, which helps take their minds off the pain.
The simple act of choosing the music gives people a sense of control.
Music is being used in hospitals to reduce pain perception.
Studies suggest listening to music can either reduce the perception of pain or enhance the ability to tolerate it.
Patient choice of music and active listening are key to effectiveness.
Music activates many parts of the brain and can reduce the experience of pain.
Research indicates that preferred music may be more effective than podcasts.
- Who
- Patients and medical professionals, like Nurse Rod Salaysay
- What
- Using music to manage and reduce pain perception.
- When
- Over the past two decades research has grown.
- Where
- Hospitals and doctors' offices.
- Why
- Music can help break cycles of worry, pain, and anxiety, and can reduce pain perception.
- Focus
- Reducing pain perception through music
- Setting
- Hospitals, recovery units, doctors' offices
- Key Figure
- Nurse Rod Salaysay
- Benefit
- Reduced pain, anxiety, vital sign improvements
- Important Factor
- Patient choice of music
- Research Finding
- Listening to preferred music may help more than podcasts