Research Suggests Favorite Songs May Reduce Needle Pain

For people who dislike needles, a new study suggests that listening to preferred music may help make a routine medical procedure feel less painful.

Getting blood drawn or having an IV inserted is rarely pleasant. But a recent study indicates that a carefully chosen playlist could help soften the discomfort of being stuck with a needle.

Published in Frontiers in Pain Research, the research found that hearing favorite music may lessen pain from a needle prick.

What the researchers found

The study followed 204 people who were having non-emergency MRI scans of the brain, spine, or head and neck. Because each scan required a cannula, a thin tube placed into a vein to deliver the contrast agent, participants were exposed to a needle insertion before the procedure.

Before the scans began, patients were divided into four groups and listened to one of the following:

1. Mozart’s Sonata K. 448, which the researchers said has shown therapeutic effects in earlier studies
2. Their own favorite music
3. Relaxation music similar to what is often played in a spa
4. No music, which served as the control group

Three of the groups heard music before, during, and after the cannula was inserted. Those assigned to their favorite music selected an artist or song in advance. Choices included pop songs such as Adele’s “Someone Like You” and Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal,” along with rock and indie tracks like AC/DC’s “Hells Bells” and Bastille’s “Pompeii.” Other selections included classical, R&B, reggae, electronic, and folk music.

Researchers asked patients to use a visual pain scale ranging from 0, meaning no pain, to 10, meaning the worst pain they had ever experienced. Pain ratings were recorded before the procedure, during the cannula insertion, 30 seconds afterward, and again two minutes later.

Andrei Cristinel Dragnea of University Hospital Zürich, the study’s lead author, said in a press release that although a needle puncture is a minor procedure, pain can vary widely from person to person. He added that modern medicine should aim not only for a successful diagnosis and treatment, but also for as little discomfort as possible.

How music influenced pain

Overall, the researchers found that participants who listened to their favorite songs reported significantly lower pain scores 30 seconds and two minutes after the cannula insertion than those who heard no music.

Mozart produced more limited results. The researchers saw a trend toward lower pain ratings two minutes later among those who listened to Mozart, but the outcome was not statistically significant. However, among patients who heard Mozart and already reported pain before the procedure, the pain-relief effect was clearer. The strongest benefit was seen in people who listened to their favorite music and reported pain before the cannula was placed; some even felt less pain at the initial needle prick.

By contrast, the relaxation music group did not show a statistically significant reduction in pain compared with the control group. So while those calm, spa-like sounds may suit a massage or yoga class, they may not be as effective for easing needle pain.

Senior study author Garcia Alzamora said in the release that relaxation music is typically slow, quiet, and lacking in noticeable changes. Those qualities, he suggested, may have caused patients to tune it out, which could explain the absence of pain relief.

Why music may help

Why would favorite songs make a difference? The researchers say familiar music may work by drawing attention away from an unpleasant experience. They also propose that music could affect the body’s natural pain-control systems and reduce stress and anxiety, though the study did not directly test those explanations.

Even so, the researchers argue that music—especially a person’s own favorite tracks—could be an easy, low-cost way to ease pain and discomfort during minor medical procedures. More research is still needed to learn whether the same effect appears in more invasive treatments, but the findings may offer some comfort to people who dread their next needle encounter.