Music Therapy and Pain Management
Music Therapy is an allied health profession, where a board-certified music therapist uses music for therapeutic means, such as alleviating pain (American Music Therapy Association, 1999). According to the Gate-Control Theory of Pain and Perception, an individual’s body works like this: “stimulation to nerve endings flows through the afferent pathways to the spinal cord-the central nervous system (CNS) and then to the brain. After the brain interprets the message, it is then relayed back through the efferent pathways. Therefore if the brain recognizes it as pain when it travels back (Open Gate) we feel the pain. However, if something is done about it like stimulate the area, the CNS (central nervous system) stops the message (Closed Gate) and we don’t feel pain” (Quizlet.com 2010). Where music comes to play is if the body is stimulated by music, a positive reinforcer, then pain is not perceived. Another person describes this musical moment as, “music’s ability to affect the perception of pain relates to the gate-control theory, Gallagher says. ‘If you’re focused on something like playing an instrument, singing or listening to music, that’s what’s going through the neurotransmitters (which relay the pain message to the brain) at the time. It shuts the gate on the pain, because it’s hard to focus on two things at once’” (Sarah Aldridge, September 2010, “Music Therapy Used for Pain Management”). Additionally, positive music making experiences releases serotonin, which increases a person’s positive mental state. Music therapy also provides the following benefits to individuals in hospitals:
• Anxiety and stress reduction
• Nonpharmacological management of pain and discomfort
• Positive changes in mood and emotional states
• Active and positive patient participation in treatment
• Decreased length of stay
• Improved respiration
• Lowered blood pressure
• Improved cardiac output
• Reduced heart rate
• Relaxed muscle tension
(Professor Suzanne Hanser, EdD, MT-BC, 2006)
Written by Tiffany Modica, MT-BC
From Eric, our Music Therapist at CHOC
Be sure to read Erics blog at: http://blogs.ocfamily.com/2011/05/22/choc-music-therapist/
Music soothes anxiety, pain in cancer patients
Here is an interesting article our Grant Writers found at CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/08/09/music.soothes.anxiety.cancer/index.html
