No matter the genre, music is something that almost everyone enjoys.

Though while most people listen to music recreationally, it has greater benefits than just pleasing the ear. Music has the ability to not only bring joy to surgery patients but also reduce the amount of pain they experience during recovery.

According to Nurse Rod Salaysay, at UC San Diego Health, “There’s often a cycle of worrying, pain, anxiety in a hospital but you can help break that cycle with music.” Salaysay plays songs requested by patients to help ease the process of recovery, and has seen the benefits music provides for his patients.

Specifically, music has been seen to significantly reduce anxiety levels in patients. In a multitude of data collected from numerous studies, patients’ anxiety levels were reduced by about 3% when listening to music. Kate Richards Geller, a music therapist, stated how listening to music can lessen the effects of “the isolation and anxiety of pain”. These findings show how with music, recovering from surgery should no longer be too difficult to withstand.  

The aiding properties of music have also been seen to lower the heart rate of surgery patients. Compared to those who didn’t, patients who listened to their preferred melodies had a heart rate that was 4.5 fewer beats per minute. According to researchers, this is significant because when patients have a heart rate that is within a healthy range, their recovery process improves. When listening to music after surgery, a patient’s heart rate slows, allowing their body to efficiently circulate oxygen and nutrients throughout their body.

Music is more than just satisfying tunes and sounds; it’s a powerful tool to help reduce anxiety and pain in many people.