WebMD Medical News Louise Chang, MD Dec. 27, 2011 -- Losing
yourself in music really may help take the sting out of a root
canal or other painful medical procedure -- especially if you
are feeling anxious about it. In a new study, 143 people
listened to music while they received a painful shock in their
fingertip. Participants were asked to follow the melodies, and
identify unusual tones in an effort to take their mind off the
pain. It seemed to do the trick. Participants’ pain decreased as
they became more and more absorbed in the tunes. Those who were
the most anxious reaped the most pain-relieving benefits when
they became engaged in the music. “Our results suggest that
engaging activities like music listening may be most effective
for reducing pain in high-anxiety persons who can easily become
absorbed in activities,” conclude researchers led by David H.
Bradshaw, PhD, from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.
The study did not look at different types of music and whether
soothing music worked best.