So found a study of 63 women undergoing hysterectomy, half of whom were played a tape of positive suggestions in a Walkman type tape player while under anaesthetic.
Although the study women and the controls registered the same pain, the half played the tape ordered a fifth less morphine than their counterparts who had been played a blank tape.
“Positive intraoperative suggestions seem to have a significant effect in reducing patients’ morphine requirements in the early post-operative period,” concluded the study.