Decreasing Pain Intensity in Adult Patients With Cancer Through Music Therapy: A Complementary Non-Pharmacological Approach.

Background: Adequate pain management continues to be an unmet need in patients with cancer. Pain is known to impact the quality of life. It is recommended that treatment plans include pharmacological and complementary non-pharmacological methods for managing pain. Music listening therapy is an evidence-based intervention used to manage acute and chronic pain in adult patients with cancer.

Methods: This evidence-based practice project applied the use of music therapy in adult patients with cancer experiencing moderate to severe pain despite current pharmacological treatment in a rural outpatient oncology clinic. Pre- and post-intervention pain scores were assessed using a numeric rating scale, and results were analyzed using a Wilcoxon signed-rank test.

Results: The results showed 83% of participants reported a reduction in pain intensity by at least one pain level after using music listening therapy. Additionally, 100% of participants expressed a willingness to continue music listening therapy at home as a self-guided technique to reduce pain severity.

Conclusion: The role of the advanced practice provider must include comprehensive pain management and pain monitoring to assess its impact on patient quality of life. Patients are more willing to perform complementary interventions that have minimal barriers to physical, economic, and environmental factors, particularly in rural settings where the lack of additional health resources is significant. Music listening therapy may be conducted in any environment with known positive impacts on acute and chronic pain. Therefore, music listening therapy is a viable non-pharmacological complementary intervention that should be included in the education provided to our patients in their fight against cancer.