Music with Surgery: Why?
Why would you want music during surgery?
As I travel the country talking with people
about the importance of music during surgery,
there is one question that arises over and over.
The question is a good one: why would you want
music during surgery if you're going to be asleep?
Very logical question and luckily, the answer is
very logical too.
Music during surgery is not about
entertainment; it is not about soothing a person or
even comforting them. The whole point of using music
during surgery is to relax the body so that less
anesthesia is needed. Secondarily, when you have
music coming through headphones, the music enters
the brain through the eighth cranial nerve and entrains
or synchronizes the heartbeat and breathing with
the tempo of the music.
For this reason, you want to choose music with the tempo
of the healthy restingheartbeat. You also want to choose
music that is purely instrumental, i.e., nothing with lyrics.
The third and final reason to use music through head-
phones during surgery is to block out comments and
conversation of the medical staff that might be negative
or pessimistic and influence you subconsciously.
Dr. Alice H. Cash is a clinical musicologist based in Louisville, KY. She consults with patients preparing for surgery and with clients who suffer from depression, anxiety, fibromyalgia and many other health challenges. Her use of music as medicine has garnered her an international reputation as a leader in this emerging field.
Share this: