Listening to music after surgery can help patients feel less pain and anxiety. This simple and cost-effective method could reduce the need for painkillers.
According to Eldo Frezza from California Northstate University College of Medicine, many patients wake up from anesthesia feeling disoriented, anxious, or in pain after surgery.
Research has shown that music has a calming effect, prompting Frezza and his team to study its impact on post-operative recovery.
By analyzing 35 studies, they discovered that listening to music after surgery reduced pain levels by an average of 20%, with patients requiring less morphine compared to those who didn’t listen to music.
Additionally, the music helped lower anxiety levels and heart rates among patients.
Annie Heiderscheit from Anglia Ruskin University explains that music can boost serotonin levels in the brain, distracting us from pain and anxious thoughts.
Heiderscheit suggests that hospitals could use music as a simple and affordable way to aid patients in their recovery.
Frezza believes that larger studies are needed to further explore the benefits of music after surgery and provide more reliable results.
Topics: Music, Surgery, Pain Relief, Anxiety Reduction
Vocabulary List:
- Anesthesia /ˌæn.əˈθiː.zi.ə/ (noun): A state of controlled consciousness or sensation typically induced for medical procedures.
- Disoriented /dɪsˈɔr.i.ən.tɪd/ (adjective): Confused about time or place; lacking awareness of one’s surroundings.
- Calming /ˈkɑː.mɪŋ/ (adjective): Having a soothing or tranquil effect.
- Anxiety /æŋˈzaɪ.ɪ.ti/ (noun): A feeling of worry nervousness or unease about something with an uncertain outcome.
- Serotonin /ˌsɛrəˈtoʊnɪn/ (noun): A neurotransmitter that stabilizes mood feelings of well-being and happiness.
- Recovery /rɪˈkʌv.ər.i/ (noun): The process of regaining possession or control of something lost or an improvement in health.
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