Music: A Pain Reliever?
By Caileen W.
You may have heard of music as being an effective outlet for emotional or mental stress. But have you heard of music relieving physical pain?
Shockingly, music may have the same effects as many physical medicines used to treat pain, anxiety, and stress.
Distracting From Painful Stimuli
To begin, in a study by the University of Utah Pain Research Center, 143 subjects were prompted to actively listen to music and complete various tasks while being shocked by fingertip electrodes. Those who engaged more actively with the music reacted less strongly to the painful stimulus, demonstrating the ability for music to distract the brain from certain stimuli, and as a result, lessen pain felt by the body. [1]
But what causes this? The study continues to explain that actively listening to music activates sensory pathways that evoke emotional responses, which compete with the pain processing pathways. [1] Therefore, music helps to physically stop pain from being fully processed!
Reducing Anxiety
Music has a variety of effects on the physiological processes of the body. For example, Daniel J. Levitin, PhD from McGill University found that music improves the body's immune system function and reduces stress. In addition to decreasing stress, music was found to reduce anxiety before surgery. [3]
Additionally, the study from the University of Utah found that patients with high levels of anxiety tended to engage more deeply with the music-related tasks and therefore feel less pain. [1] This suggests that music may have specific effectiveness according to the mental qualities of the patient, rather than having the same effect on everyone.
Alleviating Chronic Pain
Although past studies have shown music to be helpful in relieving temporary forms of pain, music also has the ability to lessen persistent pain. For example, at the University of Rochester Medicine Golisano Children’s Hospital, music therapy was found to be an effective pain reliever in a wide variety of areas, including burn treatment, chronic pain, and physical rehabilitation. [2]
Moreover, patients at the Khoo Tech Puat Hospital in Singapore suffering from persistent pain reported pain relief from engaging in music therapy. Their music therapy included singing, instrument playing, and even songwriting, which not only worked to distract them from their pain, but also assisted them in processing and expressing their grief, stress, and other negative emotions. [3]
Conclusion
Music is an incredibly powerful tool with the ability to reach into the field of medicine and healthcare. Whether it’s a live performance that brings joy to a child’s day or a music therapy session that provides relief to a hospital patient, music has the ability to fundamentally uplift peoples’ quality of life thanks to the incredible ways it interacts with our brain.
CITATIONS
Marketing and Communication. Study Assesses Pain Relieving Benefits from Music. University of Utah Health | University of Utah Health. Published January 6, 2012. Accessed June 22, 2026. https://healthcare.utah.edu/press-releases/2012/01/study-assesses-pain-relieving-benefits-music
Music Therapy and Pain Management - Pediatric Pain Management - Golisano Children’s Hospital - Rochester NY - URochester Medicine. Rochester.edu. Published 2026. Accessed June 22, 2026. https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/childrens-hospital/pediatric-pain-management/music-therapy-and-pain-management
Novotney A. Music as medicine. https://www.apa.org. Published 2026. Accessed June 22, 2026. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2013/11/music
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