Friday, June 22, 2012

Music and Chronic Pain


There are a number of causes of chronic pain, including cancer, accidents, and even diabetes.  Some diabetics deal with a lot of chronic pain, no matter how much medication gets directed at the problem.  (Roberts, 2002)

As June is Black Music Month, I thought that I would look at music therapy and its effect on health!  Well, music therapy appears to have been used extensively in the relief of chronic pain…

Music therapy works in chronic pain management by providing sensory stimulation that evokes a response in the patient. Research has found that music used as a clinical intervention can help patients by:

·      Reducing the amount of pain they perceive
·      Promoting relaxation, rhythmic breathing, and rest
·      Alleviating anxiety and stress
·      Giving their mood a positive boost[.] (Thompson, 2010)

“Patients undergoing music therapy for chronic pain management have been found to:

  • ·      Require less pain medication
  • ·      Have significant improvements in their respiration, blood pressure, heart rate, and muscle relaxation
  • ·      Enjoy more peace of mind and better quality of life[.]” (Thompson, 2010)


“[M]usic with a slow beat is relaxing, while music with a fast beat is invigorating. Otherwise, you'll need to experiment to learn what music makes you feel better.” (Roberts, 2002)  It would seem that some nice relaxing GOSPEL, JAZZ, REGGAE or R&B is called for, in order to relax the muscles that are causing the chronic pain.  Once an improvement in your chronic pain is perceived, you could try some invigorating HIP HOP or SALSA!  If you’re over 40 years old, you might enjoy relaxing to some SOUL or [the group] SANTANA from the 1970s and 1980s—like I do!!

Music therapy is a recognized form of therapy and is sometimes covered by insurance. Formal music therapy sometimes involves just listening to music. But other times, the patient takes a more active role--singing, playing an instrument, or moving with the music. To find a music therapist, contact the American Music Therapy Association, Inc., at info@musictherapy.org or (301) 589-3300. (Roberts, 2002; Thompson, 2010)

So, when your chronic pain is bothering you, you might try singing along when your favorite song is played on the radio—or hum, if you don’t know the words!!

Reference:

Roberts, S.  (2002, September).  “Music therapy for chronic pain.”  Diabetes forecast.  Retrieved June 21, 2012 from http://healingmusic.org/Library/Newsroom/MusicTherapyForChronicPain.asp
Thompson, Jr., D.  (2010, March 04).  “Music therapy for pain management.”  Everyday health.  Retrieved June 21, 2012 from http://www.everydayhealth.com/pain-management/music-therapy-for-pain-management.aspx