Purring Helps with Healing
Cat Purr Frequency Increases Bone Density & Speeds Injury Recovery
If you are recovering from an injury, you should hug a purring cat. Consistent vibrational sound frequencies of 25-150 Hz, which is the range of a cat’s purr, aid in the healing of bones, tendons, ligaments and muscles, as well as providing pain relief.
Why Cats Purr
Purring would not have evolved unless it provided some sort of survival advantage. It is commonly assumed that cats purr to express contentment, but this does not explain why cats also purr when giving birth, frightened or severely injured.
Healing After Injury
Cats’ bones heal faster and more easily after fractures than those of dogs. Veterinary medicine researchers note that 90% of cats that plummet from extraordinary heights survive despite serious injuries. There is also evidence that cats are less likely to suffer postoperative complications after surgery than dogs. This rapid healing ability may be attributable to purring.
Bone Strength and Recovery
Dr. Clinton Rubin and his colleagues have discovered that sound frequencies of 20-50 Hz can increase bone density. An amusing study in which researchers placed chickens on a vibrating plate for 20 minutes each day found that the chickens grew stronger bones as a result. This finding was replicated in a study of rabbits, in which bone strength increased by 20% after exposure to the 20-50Hz sound frequency. The study also found that the frequency stimulated the healing of broken bones as well as the speed of bone regeneration. This discovery has significant implications, given the large numbers of people who suffer from osteoporosis (bone loss) as they age.
Cats suffer far less often from diseases of the bones than dogs, and given the effect that the purr frequency has on bones, it is likely that purring plays a role in this. There are a number of osteo diseases that are rare in cats but common in dogs, including scapulohumeral joint luxations and hip dysplasia. Cats are also less likely to suffer from osteosarcoma, osteoarthritis and myeloma (a tumor of the bone marrow’s plasma cells).
Breathing Problems
Research indicates that purring can help decrease dyspnea, or shortness of breath. One study found that among dogs and cats suffering from myocardial necrosis, all of the dogs had dyspnea, but none of the cats suffered from this condition. The incidence of primary lung tumours is also three times higher in dogs than in cats. Additionally, researchers have found that in humans, a vibration of 100Hz, which is in the range covered by a cat’s purr, can decrease the symptoms of a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease called dysponea in both cats and humans.
Tendons and Muscles
Cats suffer far less often than dogs from diseases afflicting the muscles and ligaments, and low-decibel frequencies similar to that of a cat’s purr have also proven beneficial for the healing of muscles and tendons in humans. One study found that following sports injuries, low-frequency biomechanical stimulation can prevent decreases in muscle strength and mass. Another found that the vibration can speed tendon healing in the ankle, increasing upper ankle joint mobility by up to 19% after injury.
Pain Relief
Researchers found that exposure to a sound frequency between 50 and 150 Hz provided relief for 82% of those suffering chronic and acute pain. Thus, it is unsurprising that cats often purr when they are injured or giving birth.
Purr Frequency Research
Although there has been little research conducted into the extraordinary self-healing ability of cats, evidence for the benefits of purring is mounting. There are many indications that the vibrational frequency of a cat’s purr could provide healing and perhaps even health protection benefits not only for cats but for humans as well.
Further Reading
For more information on cats, see Cat Heroes, Unusual Cat Breeds and Why Cats Hiss.
References
Information for this article was derived from the Fauna Communications Research Institute, which conducts research into animal communications, and Leslie Lyons’ “Why Do Cats Purr?” in Scientific American online.
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