Music Eases Cancer Pain

Music Eases Cancer Pain Study Shows

This is a guest post that I couldn’t wait to share with you. When my cousin Martha learned that she had to take chemo (again) I racked my brain for something I could do for her, something that would let her know how much I cared and that I was thinking of her. The only thing I could think of was to give her an IPod with her favorite music on it. I love music and so does she…while music can’t take the pain away, it can help transport the listener and hopefully make them think of happy times. I hope this post offers comfort and I hope one day that the word “Cancer” is only found in history books because it no longer exists!

Author of this post is Marlene: Marlene is a retired Registered Nurse as well as a wife and mother of two grown sons. She is also a part-time mature student, working towards getting her BA (Major- Art History), at the University of Toronto.  Using her previous experience as a RN, she currently works as a freelance medical writer contributing content to many health-related websites in both Canada and the United States.

Affecting more than 12 million people in the U.S., cancer can be a pervasive and devastating disease. Not everyone affected by cancer experiences pain, but for those who do, it can be difficult to manage. Existing methods of pain management such as receiving scheduled analgesics cause detrimental side effects that can harm the body and can cause problems with addiction. As a result, less traditional methods of pain management are being explored.

Years of research studies have proved that music and music therapy can significantly reduce pain for cancer patients. Music has positive effects on the psychological, physiological, spiritual and social aspects of pain. Patients receiving music therapy experienced less pain, depression and disability than control groups. Music eases pain by effectively disrupting the associations of pain to psychological factors such as previous pain experiences, expectation/anticipation of pain and interpretation of other sensations as pain.

Music Therapy is Fast

In addition, music therapy works fast. A study conducted by University of Utah’s Health Sciences Center showed that the therapeutic use of  music decreased pain in as little as three days. On a chemical level, endorphin levels were elevated by learning how to play and listening to music genres that the listener enjoyed. By successfully distracting a cancer patient’s attention away from painful stimuli, music can actually alter their pain perception, encourage positive thoughts and/or sensations as well as improve their overall mood, thus reducing requirements for analgesics. As a result, cancer patients feel more empowered and cope much better with pain.

Results of a 2011 research study showed the amazing effects music and instrument based therapies can have on levels of pain, mood and vital signs (i.e. BP) in cancer patients of all ages. Creative arts therapists in Philadelphia reviewed thirty previous studies which included a total of approximately 1,900 adult and child cancer patients. Subjects in seventeen of these studies had listened to prerecorded music while participants in the other thirteen had taken part in certain types of music therapy. The latter included things like playing the piano, singing or making rhythms with the assistance of a music therapist.

In both types of sessions (i.e. music therapists versus prerecorded music), participants reported that their levels of anxiety were decreased and the quality of their life improved when compared to other standard treatments. Utilization of music significantly eased patients’ pain, elevated their mood and lowered their vital signs, including heart/respiratory rates and blood pressure.

Different Strokes for Different Folks

What genre of music works best in cancer pain treatment? Patients were given a choice between various musical genres including classical, rock, country and new age. Researchers concluded that the most effective genre, for a particular subject, likely depended on their specific musical preferences and personal background.

The lead author of the creative arts study in Philadelphia strongly believes that the “beauty of music” can give cancer patients and their families “renewed hope and energy.” Additionally, the costs and side effects involved in using music therapy as a method of cancer pain management are minimal when compared to other types of pain intervention. Studies such as these may pave the way for music therapy to become a standardized treatment method complementing the use of drug therapies in cancer pain management. Independent music therapists and companies such as  West Music and NueroRhythm Music Therapy offer therapy programs designed to reduce pain and promote wellness.

But don’t wait to feel better! Researchers and doctors alike say to explore methods of pain management before the pain gets worse and harder to manage. See if music therapy can alleviate your pain and improve your health outcome today.

 

Resources: (Retrieved July 21, 2013.)

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pageid=1333192&utm_source=WhatCountsEmail&utm_medium=NC%20eNote:%20%20Crossroads_September%202012&utm_campaign=NC%20eNote:%20%20Crossroads_September%202012″ http://www.nursingcenter.com/lnc/static?pageid=1333192&utm_source=WhatCountsEmail&utm_medium=NC%20eNote:%20%20Crossroads_September%202012&utm_campaign=NC%20eNote:%20%20Crossroads_September%202012

“http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/232620.php” http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/232620.php

“http://content.lib.utah.edu/cdm/ref/collection/etd1/id/18″ http://content.lib.utah.edu/cdm/ref/collection/etd1/id/18M