Music Therapy Reduces the Intensity of Pain Among Patients With Cancer

Abstract

Background: Most of the cancer patients may suffer from pain; therefore, music therapy -as a noninvasive method- is sometimes used to help reduce the pain of cancer patients. Objective: To evaluate the effects of music therapy on pain in some patients with cancer. Material and Methods: This semi-experimental study was performed at Urmia teaching hospital in 2011. A total number of 60 patients with soft tissue cancer were randomly selected and allocated to control and intervention groups. Intervention group received 20-minute music for three consecutive days. The degree of pain was measured by Visual Analog Scale (VAS) before and after music therapy. Data were analyzed at the three times using SPSS and the information was described using mean, SD and analyzed by using t-test, ANOVA and Pearson. Results: The results showed no significant differences in demographic variable between intervention and control groups. Intensity of pain in intervention group in the three times showed significant diminution (P < 0.001); but in control group, pain intensity did not change during the study (P = 0.12). There was significant relationship between intensity of pain and stage of the cancer (r = 0.46, P = 0.008) and kind of cancer (r = 0.38, P = 0.002). Conclusions: By considering positive effects of music on pain in patients with cancer, health care providers can use music and encourage patients to use it for enhancing the effects of analgesics, decreasing the pain and promoting quality of life.