Rod Salaysay strums his guitar in a hospital room at University of California San Diego Health, offering an alternative to traditional pain relief methods. “For the last 16 years that I’ve played music, I’ve probably played for about 2,000 patients already,” said Salaysay, a nurse in the recovery unit. “That’s a lot.”
Salaysay follows medical protocols and medication dosages, but is also known for honoring musical requests.
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“I always find that music and pain medication work side by side to achieve a really good level of comfort,” he told The Associated Press. “Once they get some pain medication they start to relax, and then when you instill some music in between, it’s a different level of comfort that they experience.”
Other patients might find their recovery nurse reaching for a ukulele before the Tylenol.
One study found music can influence pain tolerance, and the type of music may matter — though researchers discovered that genre is more about personal preference. If a patient relaxes to classic rock, that’s the music that helps. All music appears to have a positive effect, so long as the patient enjoys it.
Patient Richard Hoang said Salaysay’s musical approach was unexpected but effective.
“I was expecting a typical nurse that just comes in and does his or her job, and that’s it,” Hoang said. “Rod came in here with a whole different attitude and atmosphere. It kind of stunned me a little bit, but it actually helped me not think about the pain and focused more on how to recover.”
Studies show that when patients choose their own music and listen attentively, acute pain begins to fade. Acute pain occurs when pain receptors in the body send signals to the brain.
“When you play music and they start to tap their hands, maybe move their foot to the beat and adjust their position into the pillow, you know it’s working because they’re trying to find a position where they can feel more comfortable and let the music sink in,” Salaysay said. He added that changes in heart rate, blood pressure and breathing are physiological signs the therapy is effective.
The specific reason behind the link between music and pain relief remains unclear. Some researchers believe familiar songs may trigger memories and emotions, contributing to the effect.
