Music speeds up recovery after surgery.

Researchers from the Medical College of California State University, Northridge in Elk Grove, California, analyzed existing studies on the role of music in post-surgery recovery, narrowing down a list of 3,736 studies to just 35. All of these studies included data on patient conditions such as pain and anxiety, along with heart rate metrics and opioid usage.

Upon conducting their analysis, the researchers found that simply listening to music after surgery, whether through headphones or speakers, had a significant impact on patients during their recovery:

• Pain Reduction: Patients who listened to music experienced a statistically significant decrease in pain the day after surgery. Pain was measured using two validated scales, where patients self-assessed their pain levels: a numerical rating scale (approximately 19% reduction) and a visual analog scale (approximately 7% reduction).

• Anxiety Reduction: In all analyzed studies, patients' anxiety levels decreased by approximately 2.5 points, or 3%, according to the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory questionnaire, where patients respond to questions and rate their anxiety on an 80-point scale.
• Lower Opioid Consumption: On the first day after surgery, patients who listened to music used less than half the dose of morphine compared to those who did not listen to music (an average of 0.758 mg versus 1.654 mg for those who did not listen).

• Decreased Heart Rate: Patients who listened to music had a lower heart rate (approximately 4.5 beats per minute) compared to those who did not. The authors noted that this is important as maintaining heart rate within a healthy range aids recovery by ensuring effective circulation of oxygen and nutrients throughout the body, especially in the areas that were operated on. Additionally, tachycardia, or a heart rate over 100 beats per minute, can lead to arrhythmias, such as atrial fibrillation, which can be life-threatening.

Eldo Frezza, MD, MBA, FACS, the senior author of the study and a professor of surgery at the Medical College of California State University

“We do not claim that any type of music is better than another,” the researchers state. “We believe that music can assist people differently after surgery because it can be soothing and create a sense of being in a familiar place. Listen to the music that you enjoy.”