Report: Music Helps Recovery From Surgery

Listening to music before, during and after an operation can help reduce pain, according to a review.

Researchers at Queen Mary University of London said the patients who had listened to music had been less anxious after their surgery and had needed less pain relief.

According to the BBC, they said music had been effective even while patients had been under general anaesthetic.

The team reviewed 70 trials, involving about 7,000 patients around the time of surgery, comparing a wide variety of mostly "soothing" music with:

• undisturbed bed rest
• headphones with no music
• white noise
• routine care

While there was an effect on stress and pain, music did not reduce the length of hospital stays.

The lead author, Dr Catherine Meads, said Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon album had helped soothe her pain three hours after hip surgery in April.

Music was a safe, cheap and non-invasive option that should "be available to everyone having surgery", she said.

"Currently music is not used routinely during surgery to help patients in their post-operative recovery.

"The lack of uptake is often down to the scepticism of professionals as to whether it genuinely works, and of course issues of budget and the integration into daily practice."

Dr Meads added "it was quite a surprise" music had worked under general anaesthetic.

The researchers are following up this work with a study at the Royal London Hospital in the autumn.