Feeling blue? THIS song can reduce anxiety by 65% and calm nerves
Feeling a bit blue lately? Music is the answer. Yes, it's legit and science-backed! Be it the work deadlines or cash crunch, personal commitments or goals, music can help. Scientists and health experts are vouching for music to de-stress, and interestingly, a particular song has similar effects to a drug prescribed for anxiety!
Soothe anxiety with a song
Results of a clinical trial, published online in the journal Regional
Anesthesia & Pain Medicine
, suggest that music may offer an alternative to the prescribed drugs routinely used to calm the nerves before the use of regional anaesthesia (peripheral nerve block).
A particular song, seems to have similar effects as the sedative midazolam in reducing anxiety before undergoing a peripheral nerve block-a type of anaesthetic procedure done under ultrasound guidance, and designed to numb a specific region of the body. Preoperative anxiety is common. This can raise levels of stress hormones in the body, which affect recovery after surgery. This is often treated with benzodiazepines, such as midazolam.
However, these drugs have side effects. It affects breathing, disturbs blood flow, and paradoxically increases the levels of agitation and hostility. These drugs are administered under continuous monitoring by a skilled clinician. However, music has now shown promise to lower preoperative anxiety, and reduce it by 65%.
The most relaxing song
Though previous studies have found that music can be effective in preoperative anxiety, it has not been directly compared with intravenous midazolam.
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To understand if music could act as an alternative to the drug, the researchers studied 157 adults. They randomly assigned the participants to receive either 1-2 mg of midazolam (80), which was injected 3 minutes before the use of a peripheral nerve block, or to listen to Marconi Union's Weightless series of music via noise-cancelling headphones (77) for the same period.
And guess what? The
Weightless
really turned out to be a chartbuster for the anxiety! Scientists consider it to be one of the world's most relaxing songs!
The results
The researchers measured the anxiety levels of the participants before and after the use of each anxiety-calming method.
The lowest level of satisfaction was marked 0, and the highest 10 on the scale. The researchers noticed that changes in the levels of preoperative anxiety were similar in both groups, although patients in the music group were less satisfied than those given midazolam, possibly because patients were not allowed to choose the music they listened to.
But there was no difference in satisfaction levels among doctors.
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"However, further studies are warranted to evaluate whether or not the type of music, as well as how it is delivered, offers advantages over midazolam that outweigh the increase in communication barriers,' the researchers said.
The takeaway
Well, the song Weightless is certain to make you feel calm and soothe your nerves. After a long day, when you are winding down, it is best to tune into the song.
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