Listening to music after surgery might just be the perfect prescription for easing pain and anxiety, according to recent research. Studies show that patients who listen to music post-surgery report less pain and require fewer painkillers, especially morphine. This method offers a simple, affordable solution for hospitals looking to improve patient recovery.
A team led by Eldo Frezza from California Northstate University College of Medicine reviewed 35 studies to explore the effects of music on post-surgery recovery. These studies involved around 100 patients each, where half listened to various genres of music after abdominal or bone-related surgery. The results were remarkable: those who listened to music reported a 20% reduction in pain levels, based on a self-report scale ranging from 20 to 80.
“Many patients wake up from surgery feeling lost and anxious,” Frezza explains. “Music seems to help reduce these feelings.”
Patients who listened to music required less than half the amount of morphine compared to those who didn’t. This highlights music as a promising alternative to high-dose pain medication, which often comes with side effects like nausea, dizziness, and addiction risks.
Beyond pain relief, music also appeared to lower anxiety. Patients who listened to it had reduced heart rates, by an average of 4.5 beats per minute, and their self-reported anxiety dropped by 2.5 points on a scale from 20 to 80.
Though the anxiety reduction was modest, it points in the right direction, according to Annie Heiderscheit from Anglia Ruskin University. She notes that music increases serotonin levels—a brain chemical associated with feelings of well-being—which helps to shift the mind’s focus away from pain.
This research highlights the potential of music therapy as a cost-effective and easy-to-implement strategy in hospitals. Not only does it enhance patient well-being, but it also reduces dependency on powerful painkillers.
Frezza calls for further large-scale research, suggesting that randomly assigning patients undergoing the same surgery to music or non-music groups would provide more definitive evidence.
In the meantime, hospitals could start considering music as an important part of patient recovery strategies, offering a non-invasive and side-effect-free method to improve patient outcomes post-surgery.
