Nurse Rod Salaysay engages with various tools in the hospital, including a thermometer and stethoscope—and sometimes his guitar or ukulele.
In the recovery unit at UC San Diego Health, Salaysay assists patients in managing post-surgery pain. He combines medications with music, offering tunes on request, and occasionally sings. His playlist features everything from folk songs in both English and Spanish to classical pieces and beloved movie songs like “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”
Patients often show visible enjoyment, smiling or nodding along. Salaysay has observed positive changes in their vital signs, like reduced heart rates and blood pressure, with some even asking for less pain medication.
“There’s this cycle of worry, pain, anxiety in a hospital,” he explained, “but music can help break that cycle.”
While Salaysay is a one-man band, he’s part of a larger trend. Over the last twenty years, live music and recorded songs have made their way into hospitals and clinics, as interest grows in how music can alleviate pain.
Scientists explore how music affects pain perception
It seems intuitive that music might have a healing effect, given its longstanding role in human culture. However, the science behind music’s ability to ease both acute and chronic pain—referred to as music-induced analgesia—is still emerging.
While no one claims that a catchy tune can entirely erase serious pain, recent studies in journals have indicated that listening to music can lessen pain perception or improve pain tolerance.
The key appears to be that patients—or their relatives—select the music themselves and engage with it actively, rather than treating it as mere background noise.
How music can affect pain levels
“Pain is complex,” noted Adam Hanley, a psychologist at Florida State University. “It’s influenced by physical sensations, our thoughts about those sensations, and our emotional reactions.”
Two individuals with the same injury might experience drastically different levels of pain. And a person’s pain perception can even vary day by day.
Acute pain arises when specific body receptors send signals to the brain—like when a hand touches a hot surface. Chronic pain often involves longer-term alterations in the brain’s structure, leading to increased sensitivity to pain signals; research into these processes is ongoing.
“The brain interprets and modulates pain signals,” said Dr. Gilbert Chandler, a chronic pain specialist.
It’s known that music can divert attention from pain, dulling the sensation. Some studies suggest that listening to preferred music can provide more relief than following podcasts.
“Music distracts you from the pain, but it also does more than that,” said Caroline Palmer, a researcher at McGill University focusing on music and pain.
Scientists are still untangling the intricate neural pathways involved, according to Palmer.
“When we engage with music, nearly all areas of the brain become active,” said Kate Richards Geller, a registered music therapist in Los Angeles. “This can reshape the pain experience and alleviate feelings of isolation and anxiety.”
Music genres and active listening
The concept of using recorded music to alleviate pain from dental procedures dates back to the late 1800s, before the advent of local anesthetics. Researchers today continue to study which conditions make music most beneficial.
A study at Erasmus University Rotterdam involving 548 participants examined how five genres of music—classical, rock, pop, urban, and electronic—affected pain tolerance during cold exposure.
All genres proved effective, but none stood out as the best.
“Those who listened to their favorite genres could endure pain better,” said co-author Dr. Emy van der Valk Bouman. “A lot of people expected classical music to offer the most relief, but it turns out that just listening to what you like is more effective.”
The exact mechanisms remain unclear, but familiar tunes might evoke stronger memories and emotions, she explained.
Allowing patients to choose their music can be empowering, said Claire Howlin, director of the Music and Health Psychology Lab at Trinity College Dublin. Her research indicates that personal song selection can enhance pain tolerance.
“It gives individuals control in situations where they often feel powerless— it’s about agency,” she added.
Active listening appears critical as well.
Hanley, the psychologist, has co-authored a preliminary study suggesting that consistent attentive listening can reduce chronic pain.
“Music lights up various parts of the brain,” he said, “providing a positive emotional boost that can distract from pain.”
It’s a straightforward approach with no side effects, say some doctors now.
Cecily Gardner, a jazz singer from Culver City, California, shared how music helped her through an illness and that she’s sung for friends in pain.
“Music reduces stress, fosters connection,” she reflected, “and often takes you to a better place.”
