Effectiveness of Music Interventions on Chronic Pain: A Systematic Review

Author(s): Tabea Frei, Thomas Szucs

Background: Chronic pain, lasting over three months, significantly impacts quality of life. Music therapy and music medicine, are emerging as effective non-pharmacological treatments. These interventions engage brain regions involved in pain and emotion processing. The review investigates the research question of whether music has an impact on chronic pain. Methods: This review aims to evaluate the effects of music interventions on individuals with chronic pain, focusing on randomized controlled trials. The review includes studies conducted on adults diagnosed with chronic pain. The intervention consists of music-based therapies, compared to control groups receiving either placebo or no therapy, while continuing standard treatments. Data were sourced from PubMed and Cochrane Central, with rigorous attention given to the study selection, data extraction, and bias assessment. Results: A total of 14 studies were included, analyzing various music interventions for chronic pain across diverse diagnoses and age groups. Key findings included significant pain reduction in intervention groups, particularly when using tools such as the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ). Risk of bias assessments revealed varying levels of bias across studies. Discussion: This review of 14 studies found that music interventions can significantly reduce chronic pain, particularly using VAS and MPQ tools. However, varying methodologies and frequent biases suggest a need for more rigorous, standardized research to confirm these effects.