Resources & references

This paper hopes to provide an insight into the role of music therapy as a Salutogenic approach within a biopsychosocial framework and its need to be accepted in the Indian context. Music therapy may play the role with preventative and curative periods of treatment, as well as support to cope and acceptance toward the inevitable for the patient as well for the caregivers. Music therapy provides a biopsychosocial and holistic approach to palliative care.

This is a summary of a study, which reveals promising findings for the application of improvisational music therapy in assuaging the multidimensional acute pain of adult patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). 

The intent of this study was to test the efficacy of music therapy in assisting burn patients in managing their pain and anxiety during debridement. Twenty-five patients, 7 years of age and older, were enrolled in the study. There was a significant reduction in the self-reporting of pain in those who received music therapy in contrast to those who did not receive music therapy. Therefore, music therapy is a valuable noninvasive intervention for the treatment of pain after burn injury.

This study investigated feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a single-session electronic music improvisation with a music therapist to diminish pain intensity and improve pain relief and mood in adults with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD). Qualitatively, there were two prominent themes directly related to music: 1) music listening and music therapy offered many positive and few negative effects; and 2) music therapists provided comfort beyond the music. 

This systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials in burn patients was performed to determine the effect of music during treatments. In summary, a positive correlation was found between treatments including music interventions and pain alleviation, anxiety relief, and heart rate reduction in burn patients. However, additional high-quality studies with carefully considered music interventions for burn patients are still needed.

The purpose of this study was to explore the efficacy of two music therapy protocols on pain, anxiety, and muscle tension levels during dressing changes in burn patients. Twenty-nine inpatients participated in this prospective, crossover randomized controlled trial. Patients practiced music-based imagery (MBI), a form of music-assisted relaxation with patient-specific mental imagery before and after dressing changes. Also, the patients engaged in music alternate engagement (MAE), which consisted of active participation in music making. Conclusion: music therapy significantly decreases the acute procedural pain, anxiety, and muscle tension levels associated with daily burn care.

The aim of this meta-analysis was to examine published RCT studies investigating the effect of music on pain. Analysis of the 97 included studies revealed that music interventions had statistically significant effects in decreasing pain, emotional distress from pain, anesthetic use, opioid intake, non-opioid intake, heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and respiration rate. Conclusion: music interventions may provide an effective complementary approach for the relief of acute, procedural, and cancer/chronic pain in the medical setting.