Audioanalgesia

Audioanalgesia is the relief of pain using white noise or music rather than drugs, working through distraction and sensory confusion, and possibly through the body's own production of endorphins and catecholamines, though that mechanism needs further research. It was introduced in 1959 by the researchers Gardner and Licklider for use in dental procedures and has since been used in dentistry, obstetrics for labor pain and in palliative care for patients wanting an alternative to medication. Reviews find mixed results, showing it works as a supplementary distraction technique but is not adequate as a stand-alone method of pain relief, comparable to breathing exercises used during labor.