People can help relieve chronic pain, depression and feelings of disability by listening to music, according to a recent clinical trial.
Nursing researchers from the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and Case Western Reserve University in Ohio studied 60 volunteers suffering long-term pain from conditions such as arthritis or spinal disc disorders. A third of the subjects were assigned to a control (nontreatment) group. The other 40 were split between two treatment groups: listening to their own favorite recorded music or to music relaxation tapes an hour a day for a week.
The tools used in pain assessment included a pain diary and 0-to-10 pain scales.
Compared to the control group, the music groups described a decrease in pain by 12 to 21 percent versus an increase of 1 to 2 percent. They also reported a decline in depression by 19 to 25 percent, and indicated they felt 9 to 18 percent less disabled and 5 to 8 percent more in charge of their pain.
The researchers concluded that music could improve adaptation to chronic pain and that the study added to evidence of the health benefits of music.
The study was published this month in the Journal of Advanced Nursing.
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