Can Sound Frequency Therapy Ease Chronic Pain? I Tried It to Find Out.

In dealing with chronic illness, I've developed a personal relationship to sound and pain. I think back to the time I begged my younger siblings to turn off the Nintendo because I felt like the rainbow road medley was aggravating my migraine (and I stand by that). Or all the times I switched off the car radio because I swore the top hits were making me nauseous. During my worst trigeminal neuralgia flare ups (a condition that causes severe chronic pain), it felt like even the softest sound could serve as a trigger. All this to say, I can appreciate that sound has physical consequences. The idea that sound could potentially be harnessed for pain relief is slightly more novel.

In essence, sound healing utilizes resonant frequencies to lower blood pressure, reduce tension, calm inflammation, lessen anxiety, and yes, relieve pain. Research shows that sound therapy can also help elevate mood, memory, and cognition. These frequencies can be played using instruments like sound bowls and tuning forks, or even through apps like Soaak.

"You're playing a certain megahertz to the body," explains Laura Widney, President of Soaak Clinics and co-founder of Soaak Technologies. "What we've done in clinic, is we have layered certain frequencies for certain issues." In fact, Soak has reportedly seen positive outcomes in 78 percent of 120 clients for a whole host of health concerns, including migraines, hormonal imbalances, sleeplessness, and anxiety. Intrigued by these findings, I decided to try sound frequency therapy for myself, and see how it worked for my chronic pain.

I started by downloading the Soaak app and scrolling through a wide range of sound frequencies formulated to address various areas of health. Some of my favorites were mental clarity, mood boost, memory support, depression relief, and PMS support. Each one also comes with a "nature" and "music" option, in case you don't want to listen to the frequencies by themselves.

I selected the frequency for PMS support first, which is supposed to provide pain relief, balance emotions, and decrease bloating. As soon as I hit play, I was reminded of the tingles I sometimes get from listening to ASMR — like sand falling down the back of your neck. It was almost as if someone had rinsed my brain in a basin of cold water . . . and honestly, I was into it. The pointed buzzing was only irritating at first, intensifying and growing stormy at times, but eventually settling into a comforting kind of white noise.

I experimented with a few of the other frequencies to see if I noticed any difference. The mood booster resonated pleasantly, while the self-confidence frequency made me feel like I was stuck in a noisy airplane hangar (this is where the "music" or "nature" options would come in handy). I especially loved the option for pain support, which I promptly added to my "favorites" folder on the Soaak app. Later in the week, when I started waking up in pain, I played the "music" version of the "pain support" frequency while I got ready for the day.

It's hard to tell whether or not it's just a placebo effect, but in my opinion, the frequency really did seem to make painful mornings a little more manageable. At the very least, the frequencies are easy to incorporate into my daily routine, and I liked having another tool for pain management at my disposal.

Even when I'm not actively going through a painful flare up, having more resources for pain management feels empowering. Sound frequency therapy is something I could see myself using, even just to keep my anxiety at bay. Although research is still in its early stages, studies show that sound frequency therapy really can help people cope with their health issues — and personally, that's music to my ears.

Sound healing therapy, like Soaak, isn't for everyone — and it's certainly not a cure for chronic pain. If you have serious concerns about how your pain is impacting your body, it's best to speak to a healthcare provider for the best course of action. That said, if sound therapy is providing some relief to your symptoms, the practice is harmless and may be, as it was for me, another pain management tool worth tapping into.

Soaak is available on iOS or Google Play. It's offered on a 7-day free trial and then a monthly subscription of $29.99 or yearly for $24.99 (or $300 a year).

Chandler Plante is an assistant editor for PS Health and Fitness. Previously, she worked as an editorial assistant for People magazine and contributed to Ladygunn, Millie, and Bustle Digital Group.