Music lessens pain and anxiety in patients undergoing surgery

Music can reduce the anxiety and pain of invasive surgery, according to an analysis of all relevant randomized controlled trials published since 1980.

Ninety-two trials with a total of 7385 patients were included in British Journal of Surgery analysis. Music interventions significantly decreased anxiety and pain compared with controls, equivalent to a decrease of 21 mm for anxiety and 10 mm for pain on a 100-mm visual analogue scale.

There was no significant association between the effect of music interventions and age, sex, choice and timing of music, and type of anaesthesia.

"This result makes it now possible to create guidelines for the implementation of music interventions around surgical procedures," said lead author Dr. Rosalie Kühlmann, of Erasmus MC–Sophia Children's Hospital, in The Netherlands.

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-04-music-lessens-pain-anxiety-patients.html

Meta‐analysis evaluating music interventions for anxiety and pain in surgery:

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/bjs.10853

Music makes me feel better about a lot of things. There's something about it that can change or influence your mental and emotional state. I can see how it can help prepare someone for something like surgery.

Jovialis said:

Music makes me feel better about a lot of things. There's something about it that can change or influence your mental and emotional state. I can see how it can help prepare someone for something like surgery.

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This makes complete sense to me. In fact, I also use it for that reason, although certain music doesn't calm me. What I play when I exercise is different from what I play when I'm stressed.

Angela said:

This makes complete sense to me. In fact, I also use it for that reason, although certain music doesn't calm me. What I play when I exercise is different from what I play when I'm stressed.

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Me too. Listening to a very wide variety of music, I have songs for all types of moods and situations. The best is finding a new song that you like, because it may have been perfect for the situation or mood for the time you first heard it.