Study shows that listening to moving music can have an effect similar to that of a painkiller
Your favorite music can have a painkiller-like effect on you. Research published by The Guardian reveals that the emotional response generated by music is very important.
We can estimate that the preferred music reduced pain by about one point on a 10-point scale, which is at least as strong as an over-the-counter pain reliever such as Advil under the same conditions. Moving music can have an even stronger effect. – Darius Valeviciusfirst author of the research
Method
Valevicius and other researchers called 63 healthy people to the laboratory at McGill University, in Montreal, Canada. According to reports recorded in Frontiers in Pain Research, an appropriate device was used to heat an area on the participants’ left arm, producing a sensation similar to that of a hot cup of coffee held against the skin.
Meanwhile, they listened to two favorite songs, relaxing music selected for them, random music, or silence, and rated the intensity of the pain. The process lasted seven minutes, had eight simulations and eight pain assessments. At the end, participants were asked about their emotions and the number of “goosebumps” they felt during the experience.
Results
Results showed that participants rated pain as less intense by about four points on a 100-point scale and less uncomfortable by nine points while listening to their preferred music, compared to silence and random tracks. Relaxing music also did not produce the same effect.
We found a very strong correlation between pleasant music and unpleasant pain, but no correlation between pleasant music and pain intensity, which would be an unlikely finding if it were just placebo or expected effects. – Valevicius
Both musical pleasure and goosebumps were identified more with soulful or bittersweet music, although their direct effects on pain were unclear, the researchers said. They also consider that the size of the study may not have helped detect such relationships, at the same time, the relaxing music may not have been played long enough to demonstrate effects.
Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
