Hospital radio has become an integral part of hospital life for over 50
years. Providing
music news and information for patients recovering from
operations. Music can be an aid to recovery and a recent press release from
Glasgow university adds weight to the argument that hospital radio's are
helping with the recovery process:-
Press Release
Two research studies at Glasgow Caledonian
University have found that people listening to music may feel less pain and
that music can relieve the symptoms of anxiety for people recovering from
surgery.
The first study by Dr Raymond MacDonald involved
20 people who had undergone minor surgery on their feet and listened to
music. He compared a second group of 20, who had undergone similar surgery,
but did not listen to music. He found those who listened to music when
recovering from their operation
felt less anxious than those who did not.
A second study by Dr Laura Mitchell, asked people
to plunge one of their
hands into a bucket of extremely cold water and the time they kept it
immersed was recorded. Those who listened to music of their own choice
experienced less pain from the water and were able to tolerate their hand in
the bucket for longer than those who were subjected to mental arithmetic as
a means of distracting them from the discomfort. Those who listened to
music also felt more in control of the situation than those who listened to
audio-taped humour.
Dr Mitchell said: "The study showed that music
appeared to be the most
effective strategy in combining distraction and feeling of control.
"The music brought by the participants was varied and included punk, dance,
rock, classical and folk. The most surprising choice was the Prodigy's
Fire-starter, not music you would immediately think of as relaxing, but the
person who chose it put up with the pain five times as long while listening
to it."
The findings by Dr MacDonald and Dr Mitchell were presented at the
British Psychological Society's Annual Conference March 2005.
Dr MacDonald, added:
"These two studies reveal more about the role of
music in our lives and way
we deal with pain. They may point the way for further research into the use
of music in settings like hospitals".
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