Music as treatment fro Joitn Pain

It turns out a DJ really can save your life. Not only does listening to music boost your mood, it can do wonders for your health, too.

New research, published this week in medical journal Brain reveals that you can improve your chances of recovery after a stroke if your favourite tunes are playing.

The research found that by listening to music every day, stroke victims regained their memory and impaired speech skills faster. Scientists in Helsinki also discovered that it made patients less depressed and less confused.

Music can help you tune out back or joint pain. In his book, Ultra-Longevity, Dr Mark Liponis cites a Korean study that found music therapy actually reduced the pain of fractures in people with broken legs. Another study, by the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in the US, found simply listening to music for one hour a day could ease back pain by 20 per cent. "This is because music seems to stimulate the release of pain-masking endorphins in the brain," says Cheryl Dileo, a music therapy professor.