The S&A Health Report: The Beat Goes On and On

The man that hath no music in himself,

Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds,

Is fit for treasons, stratagems and spoils;

The motions of his spirit are dull as night

And his affections dark as Erebus:

Let no such man be trusted. Mark the music.

– The Merchant of Venice.

Years ago, I began preparing for tests while listening to one song: "And The Beat Goes On" by The Whispers. For me, the song is upbeat and powerful, and the oft-repeated title phrase has, for years, stirred my body and soul to high performances. I've tried other songs on occasion, but for me nothing quite gets me up for a test or an athletic event like that one. In fact, one of the first times I used that song was right before I took my GMATs (the test required for business school MBA applicants). I worked hard on that test and scored at the 97th percentile overall… I am convinced that at least 20 points were due to that song.

The Whispers, by the way, are one of my favorite groups. I have seen them many times, but my favorite performance was years ago when a friend and I took the M10 bus in Manhattan up to the Apollo Theatre one night. What a concert. Gerald Levert warmed up, and I was in heaven. But enough about my music tastes.

What is more fascinating is the power of music. If there is such a thing as a miracle cure, music comes pretty close. Music has, among other things, been shown to:

Doctors actually have used music to distract people while working out. For those people with a lung disorder called Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), the distraction allowed them to work harder and thus get in shape and reconditioned faster than otherwise possible. One study even showed that simple changes in the tempo of music playing can "exercise" the listener's heart. The faster the tempo, the faster the heartbeat. Slow down the beat, and the listener's heart rate followed.

Studies have shown that listening to an hour of music a day reduced chronic pain by 20%. Similarly, music also reduced acute pain after surgery, lowering the amount of pain-killing medication needed.

What about mood? We all know that a certain song on the stereo or iPod can stir feelings of sadness, if it recalls an old love lost or a parent long passed, or joy, if it was playing when on our first date with our spouse. It can even overwhelm some of us, like me, with the desire to get out of the car and dance on the side of the road with whomever I'm driving (ask any of my friends). Music can do that and more. Psychiatrists have found that music can boost endorphins and other chemicals known to improve mood. These endorphins are similar, if not identical, to chemicals produced during exercise.

The funniest study, though, is one that shows milk production in cows increased with music. The study was not the most scientific – they also discovered that giving the cows beer helped… hmmm… music and beer… now that's got some potential.

Finally, immune function is improved with music. It seems that the effect can be both direct and indirect. In the direct effect, music increases production of molecules (so-called "immunoglobulins") critical in immune defenses. The indirect effects occur when the music shifts the mood of a person to a more "positive emotional state" whereby the normal immune response is stronger. It has long been known that when a person "feels good" his immune system is stronger.

Oh, yes, there is one more secret when it comes to music. The secret is The Mozart Effect. It turns out that most of Mozart's music, as well as much Baroque music, greatly improves learning, test taking, creativity, and spatial reasoning. Some scientists believe it is the one beat per second that triggers a relaxation response in the human body that leads to a state of improved brain function… but no one knows for sure.

And it might even cure heartache:

If music be the food of love, play on;

Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting,

The appetite may sicken, and so die.

–Twelfth Night

When it comes to music… what do I do?

Here's to our health,

David Eifrig Jr., M.D., M.B.A.