Pain perception while listening to thrash heavy metal vs relaxing music at a heavy metal festival – the CoPainHell study – a factorial randomized non-blinded crossover trial
Objectives Music festivals are often a source of joy, but also a risk of injury. While previous studies suggest music can relieve pain, its effect has not been tested in festival settings, nor has the effect of high-energy vs soothing music been compared. We hypothesized that guests at a heavy metal music festival would experience less pain when listening to thrash heavy metal compared to relaxing music, with the effect being influenced by music preference and increased with higher alcohol intake. Methods This factorial randomized non-blinded crossover trial assessed pain during a 5°C cold pressor test (CPT) at a heavy metal festival. Participants were randomized to listen to either Slayer’s “Raining Blood” or Enya’s “Orinoco Flow” during their first CPT, and the opposite song during the second CPT. The primary outcome was pain during the CPT, assessed as area under the curve (AUC). Music fondness and breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) were measured before each CPT. Results Forty-five
