The use of music therapy in pain and symptom management in the care of patients with long-term and life-threatening illnesses can be an effective nonpharmacologic approach to help ameliorate pain and suffering. By altering affective, cognitive, and sensory processes, music may decrease pain perception by distraction, change in mood, increased control, use of prior skills, and relaxation. This article reviews the background of the use of music therapy in pain management, explores a theoretical framework, and describes methods and techniques. Three case studies are provided to demonstrate the work.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
FoleyK.M.The management of pain of malignant origin. In: TylerH.R., DawsonD.M. (eds). Advances in Pain Research and Therapy. Vol. 2.New York: Raven Press, 1979.
2.
AldridgeD.Families, cancer and dying. Journal of the Institute of Religion and Medicine1988; 3: 312–322.
3.
GoyleN., MonzilloE., LoscalzoM.A model of continuity of care for cancer patients with pain and neuro-oncologic complications. Cancer Nursing1985; 8(2): 111–119.
4.
FramptonD.Restoring creativity to the dying patient. Br Med J Clin Res1986; 293: 1593–1595.
5.
McCafferyM.Nursing approaches to nonpharmacological pain control. Int J Nursing Studies1990; 27: 1–5.
6.
National Institutes of Health.The integrated approach to the management of pain. NIH Consensus Development Conference1986; 41148: 491–492.
7.
GutheilE.A. (ed). Music and Your Emotions.New York: Liveright, 1952.
8.
LandrethJ.E., LandrethH.F.Effects of music on physiological response. J Res Music Educ1974; 22: 4–12.
9.
BargerD.A.The effects of music and verbal suggestions on heart rates and self-reports. J Music Ther1979; 11: 68–73.
10.
BasonB., CellerB.Control of the heart rate by external stimuli. Nature1972; 4: 279–280.
11.
BonnyH.Music listening for intensive coronary care units: a pilot project. Music Therapy1983; 3: 4–16.
12.
GrossJ.L., SwartzR.The effects of music therapy on anxiety in chronically ill patients. Music Therapy1982; 2: 43–52.
13.
GuzzettaC.Effects of relaxation and music therapy on patients in a coronary care unit with presumptive acute myocardial infarction. Heart Lung1989; 18: 609–616.
14.
WhittalJ.The impact of music therapy in palliative care: a quantitative pilot study. In: MartinJ.A. (ed). The Next Step Forward: Music Therapy with the Terminally Ill.New York: Calvary Hospital, 1989; 69–72.
15.
DiserensC.M.Reactions to musical stimuli. Psychol Bull1920; 20: 173–199.
16.
HaasF., DistenfeldS., AxenK.Effect of perceived musical rhythm on respiratory pattern. J Appl Psychol1986; 61: 1185–1191.
17.
BaileyL.M.The effects of live music versus tape-recorded music on hospitalized cancer patients. Music Therapy1983; 3: 17–28.
18.
BillerW.H., OlsonP.J., BreenT.H.The effect of “happy” versus “sad” music and participation on anxiety. J Music Ther1974; 11: 68–73.
19.
FagenT.S.Music therapy in the treatment of anxiety and fear in terminal pediatric patients. Music Therapy1982; 2: 13–23.
20.
GastonE.T.Dynamic music factors in mood change. Music Educators Journal1951; 37: 42–44.
21.
RohnerS.J., MillerR.Degrees of familiar and affective music and their effects on state anxiety. J Music Ther1980; 17: 2–15.
22.
SmithC.A., MorrisL.W.Effects of stimulation and sedative music on cognitive and emotional components of anxiety. Psychol Rep1976; 38: 1187–1193.
23.
UpdikeP.Music therapy results for ICU patients. Dimensions in Critical Care Nursing1990; 9: 39–45.
24.
GardnerW.J., LickliderJ.C.B., WeiszA.Z.Suppression of pain by sound. Science1960; 132: 32–33.
25.
KerkvlietF.Music therapy may help control cancer pain. J Nat Cancer Inst1990; 82: 350–352.
26.
MelzackR., WeiszA.Z., SpragueL.T.Stratagems for controlling pain: contributions of auditory stimulation and suggestion. Exper Neurol1963; 8: 239–247.
27.
PadfieldA.Music as sedation for local anesthesia. Anesthesiol1976; 31: 300–301.
28.
ZimmermanL., PozehlB., DuncanK., SchmitzR.Effects of music in patients who had chronic cancer pain. West J Nursing Res1989; 11(3): 298–309.
29.
LocsinR.The effect of music on the pain selected post-operative patients. J Advanced Nursing1981; 6: 19–25.
30.
BeckS.L.The therapeutic use of music for cancer-related pain. Oncol Nursing Forum1991; 18(8): 1327–1337.
31.
KammrathL.Music therapy during chemotherapy. Report on the beginning of a study. Krankenpflege-Frankfurt1989; 43: 282–283.
32.
FrankJ.The effects of music therapy and guided visual imagery on chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting. Oncol Nursing Forum1985; 12: 47–52.
CurtisS.The effect of music therapy on pain relief and relaxation of the terminally ill. J Music Ther1986; 23: 10–24.
35.
ForinashM.Research in music therapy with the terminally ill: a phenomenological approach.Ann Arbor: University Microfilms, 1990; 91-02617. DA Dissertation.
36.
LaneD.The implications of measuring speech pause time in determining the efficacy of music therapy with depressed patients. In: MartinJ.A. (ed). The Next Step Forward: Music Therapy with the Terminally Ill.New York: Calvary Hospital, 1989; 61–68.
37.
LoistD.A time to remember: music therapy and bereavement follow-up. In: MartinJ.A. (ed). The Next Step Forward: Music Therapy with the Terminally Ill.New York: Calvary Hospital, 1989.
38.
MartinJ.A.Music therapy in palliative care. In: MartinJ.A. (ed). The Next Step Forward: Music Therapy with the Terminally Ill.New York: Calvary Hospital, 1989.
39.
MunroS.Music Therapy in Palliative/Hospice Care.St. Louis: Magnamusic-Baton, 1984.
40.
O'CallaghanC.Music therapy skills used in song writing within a palliative care setting. Austral J Music Ther1990; 1: 15–22.
41.
SalmonD.Partage: group-work in palliative/hospice care. In: MartinJ.A. (ed). The Next Step Forward: Music Therapy with the Terminally Ill.New York: Calvary Hospital, 1989; 47–51.
42.
HilgardE., HilgardJ.Hypnosis in the Relief of Pain.Los Angeles: William Kaufmann Inc., 1975.
43.
BeckS.L.The effect of the therapeutic use of music on cancer-related pain.Salt Lake City: University of Utah, 1988. Dissertation.
44.
BaileyL.M.The use of songs in music therapy with cancer patients and their families. Music Therapy1984; 4: 5–17.
