About Herbs

Bottom Line: Music can promote relaxation and distraction from pain associated with many illnesses.

Music therapy has emerged as a formal discipline in the United States in the 1940s. Currently, there are over 5,000 trained therapists working throughout the country. Patients listen to or perform music under the guidance of a professionally trained music therapist. Studies have shown that music reduces anxiety, stress and pain after surgery. Music is thought to reduce blood pressure in the listeners. It improves coordination in stroke and Parkinson's disease patients. Music helps improve social and emotional aspects in patients with Alzheimer's disease and improved quality of life in patients with dementia. A recent study has shown that music is effective in improving depressive symptoms. Music has clinically significant benefits for premature infants in intensive care units. It also helps to change behaviors in children with autism and to reduce anxiety and increase comfort in hospitalized children with cancer. Music therapy can reduce mood disturbance in cancer patients undergoing stem cell transplantation. It also reduced anxiety in patients receiving radiation therapy and improved the quality of life in people with terminal cancer. Because music therapy is noninvasive and free of side effects, it is being added into the standard care in major cancer hospitals.

Cancer
In one study, blood cancer patients receiving music therapy during autologous stem-cell transplantation had less mood disturbance when compared to those in the control group.

Another study showed that terminal cancer patients who received music therapy experienced improved quality of life compared to the control group.

Music as therapy has been used since ancient times. It emerged as a formal discipline in the United States in the late 1940s. Currently, there are over 5,000 music therapists working in clinical settings throughout the country. Patients listen to or perform music under the guidance of a professionally trained music therapist. Music can promote relaxation and provide distraction from pain. It has been used to reduce postoperative pain ⁽¹³⁾ and to help alleviate anxiety and stress ^{(1) (2)}. According to a recent study, music therapy can reduce mood disturbance in cancer patients undergoing autologous stem cell transplantation, a procedure known to cause significant psychological distress ⁽¹⁰⁾. Other data suggests that music may also alleviate anxiety in patients receiving radiation therapy ⁽¹¹⁾ and improves the quality of life in people with terminal cancer ⁽¹²⁾. According to a pilot study, music can reduce anxiety and increase comfort in hospitalized children with cancer ⁽⁹⁾. In another clinical trial, women undergoing colposcopy reported reduced anxiety and pain perception after listening to slow-rhythm music ⁽⁸⁾. There is also preliminary data suggesting that music may help in improving social and emotional aspects in patients with Alzheimer's disease ^{(3) (4) (5)} and improved quality of life in patients with dementia ⁽6) and stroke ⁽⁷⁾. Because music therapy is noninvasive and free of side effects, it is being integrated into the standard care in major cancer hospitals to help relieve pain and other physical and psychological discomfort.

Cassileth BR, et al. Music therapy for mood disturbance during hospitalization for autologous stem cell transplantation: a randomized controlled trial. Cancer 2003;98(12):2723-9.
This study involved 69 patients with hematologic malignancy scheduled to undergo high-dose therapy with autologous stem cell transplantation (HDT/ASCT), a procedure that causes significant psychological distress. Patients were randomized to receive music therapy given by trained music therapists or standard care. Patients who received music therapy reported less mood disturbance compared to the control group. Researchers suggest that music therapy can be used as an effective intervention to reduce mood disturbance in patients undergoing HDT/ASCT.

Smith M, et al. Music as a therapeutic intervention for anxiety in patients receiving radiation therapy. Oncol Nurs Forum 2001;28(5):855-62.
In this study, 42 men receiving radiation therapy for pelvic or abdominal cancer were randomized to listen to music of their choice or standard care for the duration of therapy. Although there was no significant difference in anxiety levels between the two groups, post-hoc analyses showed changes in anxiety scores suggesting that music may be beneficial during radiotherapy. Therefore, researchers concluded that early intervention with music therapy may be beneficial for patients with high levels of anxiety.

Hilliard RE. The effects of music therapy on the quality and length of life of people diagnosed with terminal cancer. J Music Ther 2003;40(2):113-37.
Eighty patients with terminal cancer were randomly assigned in this study to receive music therapy or routine care. All participants received at least two visits and quality of life assessments. Patients who received music therapy experienced increased quality of life compared to those who received only routine care. Although there were no significant differences between the two groups in physical functioning or length of life, music therapy improved the quality of life in patients with terminal cancer.