Listening to classical music can help reduce pain and inflammation

According to a new study in Frontiers in Neurology, Mozart's classical music is capable of reducing pain and inflammation, as well as increasing the effectiveness of many different drugs.

Grzegorz Bulaj, associate professor of pharmacology at the University of Utah (USA), and colleagues conducted experiments on mice injured in the leg due to cuts or injections of a compound to cause inflammation. Scientists divided mice into two groups, each with 5 to 8 children. In particular, a group of mice were allowed to listen to Mozart's music three times a day (every 3 hours) continuously for 21 days. The remaining control group of mice only exposed to background noise.

Mozart's music has the ability to help relieve pain.(Photo: AP).

After the experiment, the group of mice heard the works of the Austrian genius composer that could withstand the heat and the pressure on the leg was 77% longer than the group of non-music mice.

The team also found that classic numbs significantly increased the effectiveness of many different drugs . When they treated injured leg mice with ibuprofen and combined with Mozart's music, the pain was almost completely erased after three weeks. In addition, their inflammation was 93% lower than those of rats. Meanwhile, cannabidiol (CBD) is 21% more effective at relieving pain when combined with music. The results of the study open up a new direction for treating pain and reducing prescription drugs.

'Many pain relievers can be toxic to the body. By using music to enhance the effectiveness of these drugs, patients only need to use a much lower amount of medication to limit side effects' , Bulaj said. 'This is really a simple, easy-to-implement and less expensive method, bringing unexpected effects'.

To explain the reason why Mozart's music has analgesic effects, the scientists pointed out that gentle, melodious sounds reduce levels of stress hormones and relate to inflammatory processes like cortisol. Music also helps regulate inflammatory proteins in the cytokine body, while supporting the development of new neurons in the brain and increasing memory capacity.

The team notes that not all types of music can relieve pain, such as rap rock, gangster rap or K-pop. In order to improve health, soothe and relax the nervous system, the type of music you listen to must be skillfully harmonized, the tone is not overwhelmed, the sound intensity is appropriate.

The application of music in the medical field is not new. In the 1940s, the US officially applied music therapy to treat psychological shock for soldiers returning from the Second World War. Currently, many highly qualified music therapists - including 5,000 Americans - are working in hospitals or rehab. They help patients reduce anxiety, relax and reduce awareness of pain.

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