Music softens manners, but not only. After surgery, jazz also appears to be effective in reducing patients’ heart rates and anxiety, according to the results of a study presented at the annual American Congress of Anesthesiology in New Orleans. As ear muffs would be able to limit pain.
Dr. Austin and the team of researchers at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center performed an experiment with 56 volunteers. After their hysterectomy (removal of the uterus), half of these women listened to jazz and the other half wore earmuffs.
The researchers measured heart rate, blood pressure, pain and the stress level of the patients before the operation. Then 30 minutes after the surgery.
Jazz slows down the heartbeat and earmuffs the pain
Scientists have found that a drop in heart rate in both groups of women. If women rocked to jazz had a lower heart rate than others after 20 minutes of listening, those who wore ear muffs suffered less after just 10 minutes of this experience.
“The idea of having to undergo surgery, in addition to the fears associated with anesthesia, creates a stress emotional and distressing for many patients, “says Dr. Flower Austin, in charge of this study at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.” Anesthetists give their patients painkillers right after the procedure. But some of these drugs can cause serious side effects “.
“Our goal is to figure out how to incorporate this into our care,” says Dr. Austin. “We need to figure out what kind of music works best, when to listen to it, and when silence should prevail. But it is obvious that music as well as silence is affordable, non-invasive and that they can increase patient satisfaction “.
