Melodies, mutts reduce stress

Music and savage beasts hath charms to soothe the nervous patient, suggests a study published in Psychosomatic Medicine. Listening to music on headphones before and during surgery helped patients cope with stress-related rises in blood pressure. BP rates dropped within five minutes of the participants hearing their chosen selections, and stayed that way during and after surgery. A no-music control group had elevated blood pressure throughout the surgical experience.

The benefits were seen whether pop music or chamber music was played. "Familiarity with and control over selection of music are much better predictors of physiological response than music labeled as sedative," says lead author Karen Allen, Ph.D., of the State University of New York at Buffalo. "Music is a safe, enjoyable, inexpensive, noninvasive and non-drug treatment with no adverse effects. It has potential applications in many types of ambulatory surgery."

Allen has also researched the stress-reduction potential of pets. According to her results, presented to the American Psychosomatic Society, people undergoing stressful tasks had reduced heart rates and BP rates when accompanied by their dogs. The numbers went up when both spouse and dog were around, and were highest with spouse present and dog gone.