New Science May Show Why Sound Can Ease Pain
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Listen up, everybody: If you've ever thought your favorite song made your whole body feel better, new science suggests that wasn't just your imagination. In fact, it's not only music that has an analgesic, or pain-reducing, effect. Many types of sounds or noises can help, researchers have found — if they're played at the right volume, that is. Doctors and researchers have long known about a connection between sound and the body. Music therapy has been used for decades to help manage pain after an operation, during labor and after childbirth, and during cancer treatment.
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@javed-a Why this happens isn't well understood. Some theories suggest the analgesic effects of sound are psychological — that is, they calm, or distract, a person from the pain. This new research suggests that something deeper is at work. And the paper, published in Science, may shed light on the inner workings of the brain, revealing the circuitry operating behind this pain relief.