The effect of music therapy on pain in palliative care of patients with cancer

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Belguzar Kara

Yuksek Ihtisas University Faculty of Health Sciences, Turkey

: J Nurs Patient Care

Abstract

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Palliative care is defined as an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problem associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial and spiritual. While music therapy has been used for over 30 years in palliative care, evidence-based practices are limited. There are a few studies regarding the effects of music therapy in palliative care in patients with cancer. In a randomized controlled trial in hospitalized adult patients with cancer, it was indicated that music interventions were effective for improving pain and depression. Similarly, a recent meta-analysis study reported that music therapy may be effective to reduce pain, emotional distress from pain, anesthetic use, opioid and non-opioid intake and improve vital signs. It is noted that music therapy may provide an effective complementary approach for the relief of pain in patients with cancer. On the other hand, some studies found no relationship between these two variables in palliative care settings. Further research is therefore needed to better understand the effect of music therapy on pain in this patient group. In this review, the scientific data regarding the effect of music therapy on pain in patients with cancer were discussed.

Biography

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Belgüzar Kara is a Professor of Internal Medicine Nursing in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Yüksek Ä°htisas University in Ankara, Turkey. She has a focus on chronic disease management, nursing education and behavior change. Her research interests include self-care, adherence, coping, social support, sleep quality, health beliefs and health-related quality of life in patients with a variety of chronic illnesses, complementary and alternative medicine and geriatrics and gerontology.