Music Therapy Eases Pain and Anxiety in the ED

TOPLINE:

Among patients with non–trauma-related pain, adding music therapy to standard analgesia in the emergency department (ED) reduced pain and anxiety compared with standard care alone.

METHODOLOGY:

• This randomized controlled trial was conducted at a hospital in Bangkok, between 2023 and 2024, and included 63 adults (mean age, 58.25 years; 38.46% men) presenting to the ED with pain.
• Participants with stable vital signs and nonsurgical conditions were randomly assigned to receive standard care (including analgesia) plus music therapy (n = 31) or standard care alone (n = 32).
• Patients were further divided into those with trauma-related pain (39.68%) and those with non–trauma-related pain (60.32%).
• Pre- and post-session questionnaires were used to assess pain, anxiety, quality of ED service, and satisfaction among patients.

TAKEAWAY:

• The music therapy group showed a significant reduction in mean pain scores compared with the control group (reduction in mean scores, −1.52 vs −0.09 points; P = .002).
• Mean anxiety scores were also significantly lower in the music therapy group than in the control group (reduction in mean scores, −1.87 vs −0.44; P = .026).
• Patients with non–trauma-related pain experienced a significant reduction in pain and anxiety scores compared with those with trauma-related pain (P < .001 and P = .019, respectively).
• Although satisfaction scores were comparable in both groups, ED service quality scores were significantly higher in the music therapy group (P = .001).

IN PRACTICE:

“In this study, we found that music therapy, when combined with standard analgesia, effectively reduced pain and anxiety in patients presenting to the ED, particularly those with non–trauma-related pain,” the authors wrote. “Our study highlights the potential benefits of music therapy in ED, though its application should be tailored to specific clinical settings and available resources,” they added.

SOURCE:

The study was led by Chuenruthai Angkoontassaneeyarat, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand. It was published online on April 11, 2025, in the International Journal of Emergency Medicine.

LIMITATIONS:

The study was limited by its single-center design, small sample size, lack of blinding, and the limited reproducibility and cultural specificity of the music therapy provided. Additionally, environmental factors such as the atmosphere in the ED, overcrowding, and noise levels may have influenced the results, and pre-ED analgesic use could have affected pain and anxiety outcomes.

DISCLOSURES:

Funding information was not provided for the study. The authors reported having no conflicts of interest.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.