Can Music Really Improve Our Health?

"The music we love can often have an effect that creeps into the physical realm. There's a reason why many people listen to music while exercising, for instance, and the dopamine rush that accompanies certain musical moments is undeniable. (In a recent Hearing Things piece, Andy Cush described this phenomenon as "the big release," which seems apt.) But can this go beyond improving your workout or your mood to actively boosting your health?"

"According to a study published last month in the journal Scientific Reports, music can play a role in addressing pain - but, like musical taste itself, it varies a lot depending on the listener. The paper's authors tested five different genres of music as part of the study. What they learned was that "listening to a favored music genre has a significant positive influence on pain tolerance, irrespective of the kind of genre.""

"As the authors note, this is at odds with a school of thought that suggests that classical music is ideal for pain relief. These findings suggest that classical music could serve this function - but for patients who would normally enjoy listening to classical music. In other words, as the paper's authors point out, "the general music (genre) preference emerged as an essential factor for pain tolerance, whereas the rating of whether individuals think that a genre works against pain did not.""

Testing across five music genres showed that listening to a preferred genre significantly increases pain tolerance regardless of genre. Preference for a musical genre proved more important for pain tolerance than beliefs about whether a genre is effective against pain. The findings challenge the notion that classical music is universally ideal for pain relief, suggesting classical helps only when it aligns with patient taste. Musical moments can trigger dopamine releases that influence mood and bodily responses. Health care settings have begun integrating music and instruments to reduce cycles of worry, pain, and anxiety during care.

Read at InsideHook