Music Reduces Pain and Depression

Did you know that listening to music for an hour a day can reduce chronic pain by 21 percent and depression by 25 percent? That’s what England’s Journal of Advanced Nursing reports.

60 patients who averaged the age of 50 and suffered from a range of painful conditions including osteoarthritis, disc problems and rheumatoid arthritis for at least 6.5 years volunteered to be a part of a clinical trial. Patients were divided into two music groups and one control group that did not listen to any music.

Before the study began, each patient rated their pain on a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 being the most intense pain. Pre-study results showed that the group’s usual pain levels averaged around 6 on the pain scale.

The study began with group one listening to their favorite music, which spanned rock and pop to sounds of nature commonly used to promote sleep. Group two chose from five predetermined tapes: orchestra, piano, synthesizer, jazz and harp. All patients kept track of their pain each day.

At the end of the study the results were tallied and the clear winner was music therapy. The type of music listened to did not have much bearing on the outcome, as both music groups experienced significantly less pain and depression during the trial. In fact, both music groups reported a feeling of having more power over their pain, when compared to the control group that did not listen to any music.

Several other studies have also concluded that music promotes many positive health benefits.

To maximize your health and alleviate pain, turn to natural healing remedies like chiropractic adjustment, massage therapy, music therapy, etc. It will do your body good.

[Source: www.topix.net 5/24/06]