The Effect of Music Therapy on Cancer Pain

Abstract

Every year, 1.6 million people are diagnosed with cancer in the United States (National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 2020). Cancer is known to cause immense pain in patients which can be detrimental to their quality of life. “Fifty percent of all cancer patients suffer pain…75% among those with advanced cancer” (Fernando et al., 2019) .Long term impacts on mood, mental health, cognitive processes, and physical functioning can result from inadequately treated pain (American Music Therapy Association, 2005). Cancer can occur almost anywhere in the body and is a disease of the genes in cells of our body (National Cancer Institute, 2021). Cancer is a chronic disease which results in pain for long periods of time. Music therapy uses interventions such as listening to live music, music-associated relaxation, music-guided imagery, singing and chanting, songwriting, and instrument playing to relieve pain (American Music Therapy Association, 2005). The purpose of this Evidence-Based Brief is to examine the use of music therapy for pain management in cancer patients. The use of music therapy will be compared with the results of those not using music therapy for pain control. Nurses have the responsibility to utilize all possible interventions in order to alleviate the pain of their patients. Pain is often not reduced by pharmacological interventions alone, and nonpharmacological interventions are useful in providing holistic care. Nurses can use this information to advocate for their patients and implement the use of different intervention for pain control.