Music eases needle pain

A new study in Frontiers in Pain Research finds listening to music can ease the sting of needle insertions and other painful medical procedures.

The study design

Researchers at University Hospital Zürich studied two hundred four people undergoing brain, spine, head, or neck MRI scans. They divided them into four groups listening to different music or none.

Four different soundtracks

One group heard soft relaxation music like massage music. Another heard Mozart's Sonata K488 written for two pianos in D major. A third heard their personal favorite songs. The fourth group heard no music.

Favorite songs worked best

People who listened to Mozart or their favorite songs experienced significant pain reduction two minutes after cannula insertion. The favorite music group had extra relief just thirty seconds after the procedure.

Relaxation music failed

Those who heard soft relaxation music or no music showed no significant pain reduction. Dr. Meritxell Garcia Alzamora said relaxation music's slow speed and low volume may have caused patients to disregard it.

“Relaxation music is usually characterized by a slow speed and low volume, and does not show noticeable dynamics.”

How music might work

Music may trigger endorphin release, calm the body reducing blood pressure and heart rate, or distract the brain's limbic system and prefrontal networks to activate pain mediation networks.

Next steps for researchers

Investigators plan to explore other classical music beyond Mozart for pain relief and test whether music can ease more severe pain than needle sticks.