A research team at Canada's McGill University has discovered that music is most effective at relieving pain when it is played at a person’s natural rhythm.
Their findings suggest that technology could be used to tailor a favourite piece of music to an individual’s internal tempo, potentially reducing pain levels more effectively. The study was recently published in Pain, the leading journal in pain medicine and research.
How music relieves pain
Music has been used for centuries to help ease pain, and in recent years, scientists have explored its potential in treating conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, strokes, and chronic pain. However, the mechanisms behind its effectiveness remain unclear.
'There have been very few studies examining specific aspects of music to understand how it affects the brain,' said Mathieu Roy, an associate professor in McGill’s Department of Psychology and co-senior author of the study.
While previous research has suggested that soothing or relaxing music is most effective, co-author Caroline Palmer, a distinguished James McGill Professor, noted that this explanation lacked precision. 'We wanted to investigate whether tempo — the speed of a musical piece — plays a role in pain relief,' she explained.
Our internal rhythm may distract us from pain
Past research suggests that each person has a unique rhythm, or spontaneous production rate (SPR), which is closely linked to their Circadian rhythms. Whether we speak, tap along to a beat, or play an instrument, this internal tempo is the one we naturally gravitate toward.
Roy explained that neural oscillations, which regulate our preferred tempo, may be more easily influenced by music when it closely matches our natural rhythm. 'This could help divert neural activity away from pain-processing frequencies,' he added.
To test their theory, researchers asked 60 participants — both musicians and non-musicians — to undergo mild pain stimuli while listening to music played at different speeds. Participants’ natural tempo was first determined by having them tap the rhythm of 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star' at a comfortable pace.
During the experiment, participants experienced ten-second bursts of heat on their forearms, alternating between silence and unfamiliar melodies. The melodies were played at either the participant’s preferred tempo or at speeds 15% faster or slower. After each session, participants rated their pain levels.
The right tempo provides the most pain relief
The results showed that listening to music significantly reduced pain compared to silence, regardless of tempo. However, the greatest pain relief occurred when the music matched the participant’s natural rhythm.
Next, the researchers plan to use electroencephalography (EEG) to measure brain activity and determine whether neural firing synchronises with external musical tempo. They also hope to test their findings on individuals with chronic pain or pain linked to medical procedures.
The paper, Individualizing musical tempo to spontaneous rates maximizes music-induced hypoalgesia, was authored by Wenbo Yi, Caroline Palmer, Angela Seria, and Mathieu Roy and published in the journal Pain.
