Going in for a medical procedure? Listening to music or a recorded meditation during your treatment may reduce related pain, anxiety, and fatigue, according to scientists with the Duke Cancer Institute in Durham, North Carolina. They evaluated 121 women undergoing breast-cancer biopsies who listened to music (their choice of instrumental jazz, piano, harp, nature sounds, or world music) or a recorded meditation (focused on creating positive emotions), or who received standard care (health care workers offering casual conversation and support).
Compared to those in the standard-care group, women who listened to music or meditation had greater reductions in anxiety and fatigue, while those in the meditation group had much less pain during the biopsy than those in the music group.
This article was first posted in the print edition of Yoga Journal Singapore, which is now Yogahood Online.
