A new study has found a powerful link between pain relief and the songs we keep on repeat.
After Michelle Yang pulled on a pair of headphones to listen to one of her favourite songs – Taylor Swift’sYang was participating in a study by researchers at a Montreal university to determine how listening to one’s favourite music alters perception of pain. After participants selected their top songs, researchers placed a thermal simulator on their forearms, which created a sensation similar to touching a hot cup of coffee.
Yang’s experience has been similar to that of most participants in McGill University’s research. Results published last week in thejournal showed that listening to your favourite tunes can reduce the perception of pain as much as taking an ibuprofen. “There is a little bit of a mystery surrounding music,” says Mathieu Roy, one of the study’s lead researchers and a McGill University psychology professor. “It’s not clear why we experience such strong emotional experiences when we listen.”Other researchers have found that music can help relieve stress and pain – even in babies. A study published in August 2022 in thejournal found that acute pain decreased when people had control over which songs they were listening to.
First, participants listened to their favourite songs for nearly seven minutes. Then, participants listened to relaxing tracks from a music therapy app. Participants next heard shuffled versions of their favourite songs and relaxing songs – jumbling the lyrics and switching tracks frequently. Lastly, participants sat in silence for about seven minutes.
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