Music in the control of human pain

Author(s): Chen, Andrew C., Dworkin, Samuel F.

Journal/Book: Music Therapy. 1989; 8: 47-60.

Abstract: Examines current information on human pain and its control by music to suggest theoretical background and possible applications of music in pain therapy. Topics discussed include (1) a theory of pain perception and modulation; (2) physiological, operant conditioning, and cognitive-behavioral approaches to pain management; and (3) the use of music as a cognitive strategy affecting pain perception by acting on the sensory-discriminative, motivational-affective, and cognitive-evaluative dimensions of pain experience. Actively listening to music in a structured fashion may yield a cognitive strategy (via cognitive mechanisms involving attention-distraction, emotion, imagery catharsis, and/or relaxation) for altering the perception of pain. However, there is a need for more clearly designed, well controlled research on the use of music as a cognitive-behavioral strategy for pain management. ABSTRACT 2: Pain is one of the most prevalent and costly national health problems in today's society (Bonica, 1985). In addition to economic loss, pain yields human suffering and personal loss in ways impossible to quantify meaningfully. The use of music as one cognitive strategy technique to reduce pain perception has received some attention in the medical field; however, many of the accounts of the beneficial influences of music on the alleviation fo apin are either anecdotal in nature or lack adequate controls in experimental or clinical studies to elicit musch confidence in the results. This is problemmatice because it is not clear as to which dimensions of pain-psychological or physical-active listening to music may affect, nor does it provide clear evidence that such effects are consistent or reliable. Only though the controlled use of music in an experimental design can the validitiy of the effectiveness of music as a pain management technique be determined.

Note: music; pain control & perception

Keyword(s): Music therapy; pain ; pain perception

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