Music Therapy and Pain Management

Why Use Music?

Research has shown that music can control physiological responses, such as heart rate, pulse, blood pressure, body temperature, and muscle tension. Music also engages parts of the brain that are involved in attention, reward, motivation, and pleasure.

Music therapy research has had positive results in helping to relieve pain in the following areas:

• Burn Treatment
• Cardiology
• Chronic Pain
• Dentistry
• Hospice and Palliative Care
• Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

• Obstetrics
• Oncology
• Physical Rehabilitation
• Procedural Support
• Surgery (before/during/after)

Studies have shown a decrease in pain scale scores for those who received music therapy compared to those who did not (randomly assigned controls). Music interventions help release pain in both psychological and physiological domains.

Music Therapy at Golisano Children’s Hospital

Our music therapists assess each patient for their specific needs and work together to build rapport and trust. An individualized treatment plan is developed and evaluated as sessions progress.  Overall pain management goals can include:

• Developing/practicing positive coping strategies prior to pain experience
• Providing support during acute pain experiences
• Increasing communication with medical team and caregivers
• Promoting quality of life and wellness

Music therapists can:

• Direct attention away from pain or anxiety by engaging the listener with comforting or appealing music
• Provide a musical stimulus for rhythmic breathing
• Offer a rhythmic structure for systematic release of body tension
• Cue positive visual imagery
• Develop a deep relaxation response
• Change mood
• Help focus on positive thoughts and feelings and to celebrate life
• Provide musical tools to better support your child’s comfort

Ways You Can Use Music for Child’s Comfort

• Create playlist(s) of preferred songs to promote comfort/relaxation or use music streaming apps with timers (e.g., Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube Music, etc.).
• Teach deep/diaphragmatic breathing to preferred music/sounds.
• Combine art creation with music listening (e.g., scribble drawing, crumpled paper tracing/coloring, free draw).
• Guide them through progressive muscle relaxation paired with relaxing music or search for videos on YouTube.
• Sing or play an instrument for self-expression and distraction from pain.
• For younger children — hum, sing, or listen to relaxing music while holding and/or rocking your child.
• Explore relaxation apps:

Breathe2Relax
Encourages structured deep breathing with an auditory guide and visual component for breathing in a rhythmic manner.

Calm
Programs to help improve sleep and reduce stress/anxiety, through guided meditations, soothing music, and bedtime stories.

RelaxMeditation
Mix and match over 50 sounds to create custom relaxation tracks to accompany mindfulness practices.

Music Considerations

• Volume level – louder music can be overwhelming.
  • With infants, consider the distance between the speaker and child’s ear.
• Your child may or may not want to listen to their favorite/familiar music. They may not want to connect their music with the hospital/experience.
  • Consider instrumental-only music or instrumental versions of familiar songs
• Model taking deep breaths to music.
• For infants and toddlers, consider humming or singing with or without recorded music.