Distraction relieves pain, according to a new study published in The Journal of Pain . Its authors, from the University of Utah (USA), have shown that music manages to move the cognitive focus away from the painful stimulus , working with 143 subjects, they asked them to listen to music, identify certain tones, follow the melodies …
Simultaneously, they were shocked with electrodes on their fingertips . The research revealed that central activation from the painful stimulus decreased the more music-related tasks they were asked to do. Therefore, the music provided an intellectual and emotional entertainment that managed to reduce the sensitivity of pain. The method is especially effective in anxious people, the researchers say.
