#9 — SOUND & PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES
How Sound Affects the Body
INTRODUCTION
Sound and vibration can produce measurable physiological responses throughout the body. Research has examined effects on heart rate, blood pressure, heart rate variability, respiration, muscle activity, hormone levels and other bodily functions.
Scientists have studied how different forms of sound, music and vibration affect these responses and how the body's physiological systems respond to auditory and mechanical stimulation.
This research helps explain how sound and vibration can produce measurable changes in the body's physical functions.
SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH & PUBLISHED STUDIES
Music Listening in Medicine and Healthcare: A Scoping Review
A 2026 scoping review examined 63 clinical studies of music listening across healthcare settings, including effects on anxiety, pain, stress, mood and physiological responses. The review found that music listening is being used across diverse clinical settings, while also identifying substantial variation in intervention methods and study quality.
Music Therapy for the Treatment of Anxiety: A Systematic Review With Multilevel Meta-Analyses
A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis of 51 studies found that music therapy produced a medium overall reduction in anxiety, with the strongest effects found in self-reported anxiety outcomes.
Music Therapy Reduces Stress and Anxiety in Critically Ill Patients: A Systematic Review of Randomized Clinical Trials
A systematic review of 11 studies involving 959 critically ill patients found that music therapy significantly reduced stress and anxiety, including effects measured through physiological parameters.
A Systematic Review of the Comparative Effects of Sound and Music Interventions for Intensive Care Unit Patients' Outcomes
A 2025 systematic review of 59 clinical studies found that both music and non-music sound interventions reduced pain, improved sleep, regulated cortisol, reduced sedative and analgesic needs, and reduced stress and anxiety in intensive-care patients.
Neurologic Music Therapy in Geriatric Rehabilitation: A Systematic Review
A systematic review of randomized controlled trials found that rhythmic auditory stimulation improved gait and balance in older adults with Parkinson’s disease and stroke, and reduced fall risk in people with Parkinson’s disease.
Effects of Perioperative Music Therapy on Patients with Postoperative Pain and Anxiety: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
A systematic review and meta-analysis of 19 randomized controlled trials involving 1,803 patients found that music therapy significantly reduced postoperative pain and anxiety and lowered blood pressure and heart rate.
Music as an Aid for Postoperative Recovery in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
A systematic review of 73 randomized controlled trials found that music reduced postoperative pain, anxiety and analgesic use and increased patient satisfaction. The review also found that music was effective even when patients were under general anesthesia.
Meta-analysis Evaluating Music Interventions for Anxiety and Pain in Surgery
A systematic review included 92 randomized controlled trials involving 7,385 patients. Of these, 81 trials were included in the meta-analysis. Music interventions significantly reduced both anxiety and pain compared with controls.
Effect of Music Intervention on Anxiety in Surgical Patients: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
“A 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis of 33 randomized controlled trials involving 3,793 surgical patients found that music intervention significantly reduced perioperative anxiety.”
Benefits of Music Intervention on Anxiety, Pain, and Physiologic Response in Adults Undergoing Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
“A systematic review and meta-analysis of 30 randomized controlled trials involving 2,280 adults found that music interventions reduced anxiety and pain and produced beneficial changes in physiological responses during the surgical period.”