Music therapy offers hope for professionals and people with depression, pain, cancer, stroke, stress and anxiety
October 2008

Research has shown that music therapy strikes a chord with cancer patients. Bone marrow transplant patients who receive music therapy report less nausea and pain, and a faster recovery.

Music therapy for patients who have undergone a bone-marrow transplant for various types of cancer, including leukemias, lymphomas and solid tumors, reduces their reports of pain and nausea and may even play a role in quickening the pace at which their new marrow starts producing blood cells.

Research has shown that patients who met twice each week for music-assisted relaxation and imagery reported significantly less pain and nausea. They rated both their pain and nausea "severe" before sessions, but "moderate" after sessions.

Their new bone marrow took hold faster, too: The average time until patients began producing their own white blood cells was 13.5 days in the group receiving music therapy, compared to 15.5 days in the control group. The length of this span of time, when patients are most vulnerable to infection, is crucial.

In some medical settings, such as mental health services, music therapy has been used widely to decrease patients perception of pain, anxiety and depression, and boost their feelings of relaxation. It's also used in hospice to comfort terminally ill patients.

But it's not commonly used with bone marrow transplant patients, who are often hospitalized for a month or more. Because their immune systems have been wiped out, visits are kept to a minimum to avoid infections, and feelings of isolation often set in. Patients can have a variety of side effects, including pain, nausea, fatigue, anemia and dehydration.

Sometimes students simply brought and played music the patients requested; other times they helped the patients play music themselves, or write their own songs, or talk about a favorite set of lyrics. Patients were also encouraged to visualize a peaceful and joyful setting during each session.

A therapist may be able to use music to help some patients fight depression and improve, restore and maintain their health, states a Systematic Review from The Cochrane Library.

About 121 million people world-wide are believed to suffer from depression. This can be seen in disturbed appetite, sleep patterns and overall functioning as well as leading to low self-esteem and feelings of worthlessness and guilt. It can lead to suicide and is associated with 1 million deaths a year.

Drugs and psychotherapy are common treatments, but a group of Cochrane Researchers set out to see whether there was evidence that music therapy could deliver benefits. While the evidence came from a few small studies, it suggests that this is an area that is well worth further investigation and, if the use of music therapy is supported by future trials, we need to find out which forms have greatest effect,” says lead author Anna Maratos, an Arts Therapist who works in the Central and Northwest London Foundation NHS Trust, London, UK. The current studies indicate that music therapy may be able to improve mood and has low drop-out rates,” says Maratos.

Relaxation and music significantly reduce patients postoperative pain. New research has found that relaxation and music, separately or together, significantly reduce patients pain following major abdominal surgery. Better pain management can reduce hospital stays and speed recovery, ultimately improving patients quality of life.

Pain can hamper recovery by heightening the body's response to the stress of surgery and increasing tissue breakdown, coagulation and fluid retention. Pain also interferes with appetite and sleep and can lead to complications that prolong hospitalization.

Patients can take more control of their postoperative pain using these self-care methods. Nurses and physicians preparing patients for surgery and caring for them afterwards should encourage patients to use relaxation and music to enhance the effectiveness of pain medication and hasten recovery.

Soothing music significantly reduces stress, anxiety and depression during pregnancy. It is a simple technique is easy and inexpensive, but effective. Music therapy can reduce psychological stress among pregnant women, according to research.

Pregnancy is a unique and stressful period for many expectant mothers and they suffer anxiety and depression because of the long time period involved. In fact, anxiety and depression during pregnancy is a similar health problem to postnatal depression. Any intervention that reduces these problems is to be welcomed.

Studies show that listening to suitable music provides a simple, cost-effective and non-invasive way of reducing stress, anxiety and depression during pregnancy.

The value of music therapy is slowly being realised by nurses in a number of clinical settings and it is hoped that healthcare professionals will be encouraged to consider it when treating pregnant women. In a world of sophisticated medical advances, it is good to see that something so easy and inexpensive can be so effective.

Introducing stress reduction strategies in the workplace could be a valuable tool for employers who are keen to tackle anxiety levels in high pressure roles and increase job satisfaction.

Nurses working in an accident and emergency department reported that their anxiety levels fell dramatically when they were given aromatherapy massages while listening to music, according to new research. Providing aromatherapy massage had an immediate and dramatic effect on staff who traditionally suffer high anxiety levels because of the nature of their work.

Bibliography:

1. The Cochrane Library
2. University of Rochester Medical Center
3. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine
4. Journal of Clinical Nursing