Are you ready to learn about the incredible benefits of music therapy?

Clinical trials have shown that listening to music before invasive procedures like colonoscopies, cardiac angiography, and knee surgery can lessen anxiety and the need for sedatives. Patients who listened to music during procedures had less discomfort and needed fewer painkillers. Music therapy can even help those recovering from strokes or traumatic brain injury, as well as cancer patients receiving chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

What’s more, music therapy can also reduce pain perception and medication dependence in patients with acute and chronic pain due to arthritis. And for dementia patients, music therapy improves quality of life by helping recall memories, reducing agitation, and improving physical coordination.

The evidence for music therapy is rapidly expanding and many healthcare professionals recommend it as a complementary therapy. Check out the full references below and keep diving into this fascinating topic!

Further reading:

The following studies provide a mere snapshot of the very latest work in the music therapy field – showing how powerfully therapeutic it can be in clinical settings and further afield:

Zhang, H., Yin, L., Peng, Y., Zhang, G., Chen, Q., Liang, J., Tian, S., Tong, T., Liu, R., Lv, C., Zhao, L., Liang, T., Wang, J., & Fan, L. (2023). Effect of five-elements music therapy combined with Baduanjin qigong on patients with mild COVID-19. Hong Kong journal of occupational therapy : HKJOT, 36(1), 31–38. https://doi.org/10.1177/15691861231167536

Gunjiganvi, M., Rai, S., Awale, R., Mishra, P., Gupta, D., & Gurjar, M. (2023). Efficacy of Yoga Nidra on Depression, Anxiety, and Insomnia in Frontline COVID-19 Healthcare Workers: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. International journal of yoga therapy, 33(2023), Article 3. https://doi.org/10.17761/2023-D-22-00011

Zhou, C., Ma, H., Qi, X., Xu, C., & Liang, Z. (2023). The effect of music therapy on delirium in patients receiving mechanical ventilatory support in the Intensive Care Unit: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine, 102(24), e33956. https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000033956

Pennington, E., Springer, C., Albright, J., & Castel, A. (2023). Evaluation of different methods of environmental enrichment to control anxiety in dogs undergoing hemilaminectomy after acute intervertebral disc extrusion: a randomized double-blinded study. Frontiers in veterinary science, 10, 1124982. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2023.1124982

Padillah, R., Setyosari, P., Hambali, I. M., & Indreswari, H. (2023). Combining music and film as therapy: how to reduce adolescent anxiety symptoms in digital era. Journal of public health (Oxford, England), fdad072. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdad072

Donghia, R., Convertino, S., Grasso, M., Manghisi, A., Di Masi, M., & Liso, M. (2023). Effect of music therapy in patients undergoing endoscopy: pilot study of anxiety, pain, and cardiopulmonary parameters. The British journal of surgery, znad176. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjs/znad176

References:

1. Garza-Villarreal, E. A., Wilson, A. D., Vase, L., Brattico, E., Barrios, F. A., & Jensen, T. S. (2017). Music reduces pain and increases resting state fMRI BOLD signal amplitude in the left angular gyrus in fibromyalgia patients. Frontiers in psychology, 8, 1059.
2. Schlaug G, Norton A, Marchina S, Zipse L, Wan CY. From singing to speaking: facilitating recovery from nonfluent aphasia. Future Neurol. 2010;5(5):657–665. doi:10.2217/fnl.10.47
3. Choi, Y. H., Lee, J. H., & Kang, O. K. (2016). The effect of music therapy on anxiety and depression in patients undergoing chemotherapy. Journal of pediatric hematology/oncology, 38(3), 163-169.
4. Li, X., Zhou, K. N., Yan, H. J., Wang, D., Zhang, Y. P., & Zhang, J. P. (2020). Music interventions for psychological and physical outcomes in people with chronic pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of advanced nursing, 76(7), 1486-1498.
5. Kemper, K. J., & Danhauer, S. C. (2005). Music as therapy. Southern Medical Journal, 98(3), 282-288.
6. Bradt, J., Dileo, C., Grocke, D., & Magill, L. (2011). Music interventions for improving psychological and physical outcomes in cancer patients. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (8).
7. Raglio, A., Filippi, S., Bellandi, D., Stramba-Badiale, M., & Ubezio, M. C. (2010). Effectiveness of music therapy for anxiety reduction in women with breast cancer in chemotherapy treatment. Holistic nursing practice, 24(5), 238-242.
8. van der Steen, J. T., Smaling, H. J. A., van der Wouden, J. C., Bruinsma, M. S., Scholten, R. J. P. M., & Vink, A. C. (2018). Music-based therapeutic interventions for people with dementia. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (7).
9. Zhang, Y., Cai, J., An, L., Hui, F., Ren, T., Ma, H., … & Zhang, X. (2019). Music therapy improves cognitive function and mood in elderly adults with mild cognitive impairment: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 68(2), 783-795.