Listening to tunes can divert the mind and reduce pain, especially among those with high levels of anxiety about pain, researchers say.

In a recent study, nearly 150 participants were subjected to shocks with fingertip electrodes as they actively listened to musical tracks. They were told to follow melodies and identify deviant tones in the music.

Researchers at the University of Utah Pain Research Center suggest that music competes with pain stimuli for cognitive and emotional attention. Thus, the more engaged subjects are in the act of listening to music, researchers say, the more successful the pain reduction.

Surprisingly, the study found that those most anxious about pain also became the most absorbed in the music, resulting in reduced levels of pain. Contrary to the scientists’ initial hypotheses, subjects with low anxiety levels were found to be less able to engage in the musical task. This apparent link between anxiety and absorption ability should be considered when considering pain relief therapies, researchers noted.

The findings were published in The Journal of Pain.