New study reveals music a better painkiller if you choose the tunes

Miriam FisherThe West Australian
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Camera IconBob Marley: ‘One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.’ Credit: pressmaster via Adobe Stock

Bob Marley was onto something when he said: “One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.”

The restorative power of music has long been established, with a wealth of studies pointing to its positive effect on pain - particularly chronic pain that lasts more than 12 weeks.

While theories abound as to the reasons behind this phenomenon, the underlying mechanisms of the benefit of music are unclear.

Some suggest music affects chemical reactions in the human body, triggering endorphin release or changes in catecholamine levels for example, while others propose music distracts sufferers or evokes positive memories that soothe physical pain.

Others still put forward theories of frequency or tempo as the key to relief.

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However, new research suggests basic musical features, such as tempo or energy, appear to be less important for pain relief than a patient’s choice of music.

Or at least their perception of choice.

People listen more closely, or more carefully when they choose the music themselves.

Published in open-access journal PLOS ONE, the study by UK and Irish scientists asked 286 adults with acute pain to rate their pain before and after listening to a music track.

Participants were randomly assigned to hear either a low- or high-complexity version, and some were randomly selected to be given the impression they had control over the musical qualities of the track.

The kicker is, participants’ decisions were actually irrelevant as they heard the same track regardless of their indicated choice.

Surprisingly, those people who felt they had control over the music reported more relief in the intensity of their pain than other participants.

Another finding was the self-described music lovers in the study experienced even greater pain relief benefits from having a sense of control over the track used than those who were less actively involved in music in their day-to-day lives.

“Now we know that the act of choosing music is an important part of the wellbeing benefits that we see from music listening. It’s likely that people listen more closely, or more carefully when they choose the music themselves,” the authors concluded.

Put simply, if you’re generally not a death metal fan, for example, it’s unlikely dark drum work and thrashing guitar strings will help cure those migraines.

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