Live music can help people recover from surgery faster: study

Older people, in particular, who have a harder time recovering after surgery, can benefit from live music after an operation. It is known that a recorded tune can cheer people up, but a musician at the bedside who tailors notes and pitch directly to the patient and their mood can achieve considerably more. It can normalize heart rate and blood pressure and reduce pain.

That is the conclusion of Hanneke van der Wal-Huisman, who will receive her Ph.D. for her findings from the Faculty of Medical Sciences in Groningen on Wednesday. Dozens of times, professional and aspiring musicians and conservatory students from Groningen played at a patient’s bedside for her research. They performed anything on request. “From Bach to Coldplay,” said the Ph.D. student. Not only did the sick person cheer up, but the entire department did, too. “There is also something else to talk about than someone’s surgical wound,” said Van der Wal.

Depending on the nature of the study, groups of 35, 101, and 23 patients from the University Medical Center Groningen participated. The musicians also asked about their favorite holiday country to arrive at suitable improvisations.

“Up until now, our care has mainly been very technical. That is very good. We have developed high-quality medicine. But human values have faded somewhat into the background,” said Van der Wal, who, based on her nursing background, prefers a holistic approach that looks at the whole person. The work was often also welcome for the musicians themselves, she noticed.

“This way, they can also have extra added value, more than just the relationship between stage and audience.” They must be flexible because the music must suit the patient at that moment. “They are not a jukebox. Sometimes the person operated on wants to be cheered up, but sometimes they also want to hear melancholic sounds.”

The study looked at the effects of the surgery on people over the age of 60. A surgery means extra stress for many of these seniors, not only mentally but also physically. The body itself also experiences a form of stress when it is cut. It is always a blow to the nervous system, and not all older people’s balance recovers quickly, especially if they are dealing with several ailments simultaneously.

People who are no longer recovering can also benefit from live music by improving their mental well-being, said Van der Wal.