Music as an Alternative Therapy for Pain

“Pain is a silent epidemic,” said Celeste Johnston, past president of the Canadian Pain Society and associate director for research at the McGill School of Nursing. About 17% of Canadians suffer chronic pain from such ailments as osteoarthritis, lower back pain, fibromyalgia, migraines and menstruation.
Last year alone, Canadians spent more than $2 billion purchasing prescription, over-the-counter, and herbal medication to alleviate their pain. However, recent reports about the side-effective of COX-2 inhibitors like Vioxx and Celebrex and the addictive potential of Oxycontin have spurred public interest in alternatives.
Researchers are studying alternative therapies, ones that traditionally were thought to be taboo by medical experts, said Dr. Marc Ware of the McGill University Pain Centre. Beyond drug therapy, other alternative treatments can include relaxation techniques, physiotherapy psychotherapy, acupuncture, yoga, massage, and even music therapy.
A University of Montreal study measured the effects of music on pain relief. The results of the study showed that music triggers emotional reactions in listeners, and these feelings can decrease their pain up to15%. In the study, university students were exposed to painful stimuli while listening to different types of music. The degree of pain relief was directly related to the musical tastes of the subjects. When the study subjects listened to music they liked, their pain was eased more than if they listened to music they disliked or to no music at all.
In addition to music therapy, researchers are studying other alternative, non-pharmaceutical ways to reduce pain. SOURCE: SPECTATOR (Hamilton, Canada) Jan. 14, 2005, p.A10 (Original article by Ross Marovits)