Music therapy reduces pain in palliative care patients: a randomized controlled trial.

Abstract

CONTEXT:

Treatment of pain in palliative care patients is challenging. Adjunctive methods of pain management are desirable. Music therapy offers a nonpharmacologic and safe alternative.

OBJECTIVES:

To determine the efficacy of a single music therapy session to reduce pain in palliative care patients.

METHODS:

Two hundred inpatients at University Hospitals Case Medical Center were enrolled in the study from 2009 to 2011. Patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups: standard care alone (medical and nursing care that included scheduled analgesics) or standard care with music therapy. A clinical nurse specialist administered pre- and post-tests to assess the level of pain using a numeric rating scale as the primary outcome, and the Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability Scale and the Functional Pain Scale as secondary outcomes. The intervention incorporated music therapist-guided autogenic relaxation and live music.

RESULTS:

A significantly greater decrease in numeric rating scale pain scores was seen in the music therapy group (difference in means [95% CI] -1.4 [-2.0, -0.8]; P<0.0001). Mean changes in Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability scores did not differ between study groups (mean difference -0.3, [95% CI] -0.8, 0.1; P>0.05). Mean change in Functional Pain Scale scores was significantly greater in the music therapy group (difference in means -0.5 [95% CI] -0.8, 0.3; P<0.0001) [corrected]: A single music therapy intervention incorporating therapist-guided autogenic relaxation and live music was effective in lowering pain in palliative care patients.

• Authors: Kathy Jo Gutgsell, Mark Schluchter, Seunghee Margevicius, Peter A DeGolia, Beth McLaughlin, Mariel Harris, Janice Mecklenburg, Clareen Wiencek
• Journal: Journal of pain and symptom management (J Pain Symptom Manage) Vol. 45 Issue 5 Pg. 822-31 (May 2013) ISSN: 1873-6513 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 23017609 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2013 U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Topics

• Combined Modality Therapy (statistics & numerical data)
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Music Therapy
• Ohio (epidemiology)
• Pain (epidemiology, prevention & control)
• Pain Measurement (statistics & numerical data)
• Palliative Care (statistics & numerical data)
• Prevalence
• Relaxation Therapy (statistics & numerical data)
• Risk Factors
• Terminal Care (statistics & numerical data)
• Treatment Outcome