Could Music Emerge As A Viable Chronic Pain Treatment?

May 5, 2023May 5, 2023 / Thomas Cohn, MD

A recent study suggests that listening to music could be a complementary alternative to medication for treating some forms of chronic pain. And while throwing on a pair of headphones is unlikely to fully resolve your chronic pain, it does give hope that alternative treatments could prove beneficial when opioids aren’t yielding the necessary results.

The study was very small in nature, so we can’t assume the results will be reproduced in a larger population. In fact, the research was actually a case study involving only one person – a woman who had been living with a chronic pain condition for over 20 years. She had tried different opioid regimens but they had not produced the results she had hoped for.

In the study, the woman listened to music in a number of different aspects of her life. The study wanted to explore her experience of the context in which she listened to music, the intensity and quality of pain, body mapping, memories, emotions and more. She listened to music to aid in pain and anxiety relief, to provide motivation for exercise and to improve her sleep, all with the singular focus of helping manage her pain condition. At the same time, she discontinued her opioid regimen.

Study Results

After tracking the individual for an extended period, researchers noted that she was responding positively to the music therapy. Researchers found:

Listening to music not only provided some pain relief, but it also helped to reduce withdrawal effects after discontinuing her opioid-based treatment.

The instrumental properties and the frequency with which music is used may influence the effectiveness of music-induced analgesia.

The woman showed improvements in physiological and cognitive aspects, including perceived restorative sleep, which may have influenced her overall well-being and cognitive performance.

The participant’s communications skills were also enhanced, helping her better understand her pain and destigmatize her condition.

Researchers concluded the case study by saying that music could be a powerful tool in helping manage chronic pain. Their findings suggest that music-induced analgesia involves complex cognitive and emotional mechanics, which may impact the descending pain pathway. They noted that while music therapy may not be right for everyone, music-induced analgesia may be a viable option for some individuals with chronic pain. They hope that future studies will continue to build on the idea that music could help to influence the brain and help reframe our perception of pain.

We already know that the right song can influence our mood and change our mindset, so it should come as no surprise that music could have an impact on our perception of pain. While we still stand behind more research-backed techniques like exercise and physical therapy, it may not be a bad idea to put your favorite song on the radio the next time you’re dealing with a pain flareup.

For help with your pain condition, or to talk to a specialist about your chronic pain issue, reach out to Dr. Cohn today at (952) 738-4580.

Could This Experimental Treatment Help Cure Chronic Pain?

May 5, 2020 / Thomas Cohn, MD

University of Copenhagen

New research out of Denmark is showing promise for treating neuropathic pain. According to the team of researchers, they have been focusing on targeting hyper-sensitive nerves that contribute to chronic pain onset. They’ve done this by developing an experimental compound – a peptide called Tat-P4-(C5)2 – that has proved effective in treating similar pain in mice.

“We have developed a new way to treat chronic pain. It is a targeted treatment. That is, it does not affect the general neuronal signaling, but only affects the nerve changes that are caused by the disease,” says Kenneth Lindegaard Madsen, PhD, Associate Professor at the University of Copenhagen.

“We have been working on this for more than ten years. We have taken the process all the way from understanding the biology, inventing and designing the compound to describing how it works in animals, affects their behavior and removes the pain,” said Madsen.

How The Peptide Works

The image on this blog shows the Tat-P4-(C5)2 compound after it is injected into the spinal cord. The compound (purple) begins by penetrating the nerve cells of the spinal cord (yellow), but not the surrounding cells (cell nuclei can be seen in blue). The compound works by blocking neuropathic pain signals like the kind that are seen in patients dealing with diabetic neuropathy, CRPS or phantom limb pain. The team has been pleased with how successful the treatment has been in mice.

“The compound works very efficiently, and we do not see any side effects. We can administer this peptide and obtain complete pain relief in the mouse model we have used, without the lethargic effect that characterizes existing pain-relieving drugs,” said Madsen. “Now, our next step is to work towards testing the treatment on people. The goal, for us, is to develop a drug, therefore the plan is to establish a biotech company as soon as possible so we can focus on this.”

Aside from simply working to block pain signals from being interpreted by the brain, researchers believe a peptide-focused treatment may become the norm for a variety of pain conditions in the future because it can perform the same task as painkillers without the risk of addiction or dependence. Our bodies naturally build up a tolerance to traditional painkillers, and as dosage increases so too does the risk of dependence and overdose. But with peptide intervention, we can block pain signals without the need for potentially dangerous painkillers.

It’s far from a miracle cure, and even if it’s proven successful in a human trial it should be paired with other healthy habits like regular exercise and dietary improvements, but it certainly gives us hope for the future of pain care. We’ll keep our eyes on this research as it moves to the next stage of trial. In the meantime, if you need help with a chronic pain issue, let us help you. Contact Dr. Cohn’s office today for more information.

Why Are We Treating Pain The Same As We Did During The Civil War?

July 4, 2017July 4, 2017 / Thomas Cohn, MD

It is no secret that there is an opioid problem in the United States. It seems like there is a new report being published every week on the problems with opioids in this country. This week the government published data on the number of emergency room visits related to opioid use in a single year.

The data shows roughly a 100 percent increase in the last ten years in the number of hospital visits and admissions related to opioid problems. Not surprising is that despite some differences from state to state, in general, the problem affects everyone equally – male and female, rich and poor – just like any other addiction. The focus of most data being published is on opioid addiction. Unfortunately, rarely is someone talking about some of the reasons behind the problem, especially as it relates to how the United States treats pain.

How The US Treats Pain

It is really no surprise that there is an opioid problem in the United States. Pain is a very complex set of medical issues, but unlike diabetes or cancer, very little money has been spent on any aspect of pain as a medical problem, and medical school and physician training in understanding and managing pain is virtually nonexistent. Research sponsored by any government or industry sources is minimal compared to all other areas, maybe 2 percent of all money spent by the National Institute of Health and there is no comprehensive strategy to look at treating pain. Most importantly, the tools used to treat pain are the same tools we used at the time of Civil War – opioids. Most other diseases from hypertension to diabetes and cancer over the last fifty years have seen major advancements in how we treat these conditions, but not pain.

On top of the publishing of new data of how many people are being affected by opioids, the news media is full of sensational information on every aspect of the opioid epidemic. Time magazine this week had information on how drug companies and drug treatment centers are profiting from opioid problems. One of the biggest lobbying groups for money and guidelines on opioids are addiction specialists and drug treatment centers; just a slight conflict of interest. Then the sensational news moves to all the individuals who have become addicts and the problems of addicts. Unfortunately, opioid addiction and how it affects individual lives is not really significantly different from other addictions from food to alcohol, it’s just less glamorous. The latest highlight in the news is the potent drugs and overdoses, and how just touching some of these illegal drugs or using for the first time can cause overdoses.

Opioids are a problem in the United States and more data does not help solve the problem – it just makes it sensational. The real issue that is being ignored is the issue behind opioids and how we treat pain. Most of the pain treatments available date back to before the Civil War. Pain is extremely complex, and to solve the opioid issue the United States needs to get serious about finding better pain management tools and invest in them.