22/06/2026
Music therapy is an evidence-based clinical practice that significantly aids pain management by reducing pain perception, lowering anxiety, and stimulating the release of natural pain-relieving endorphins. It provides a safe, non-invasive, and drug-free adjunct to traditional medical care.
Its therapeutic value is rooted in several physiological and psychological mechanisms:
1.Endogenous Analgesia: Listening to or creating music triggers the brain's reward and pleasure centers, releasing neurotransmitters like dopamine and endorphins, which act as natural analgesics.
2.Physiological Regulation: Music with a steady, slow rhythm can naturally lower heart rates, reduce blood pressure, and ease muscle tension.
3.Attentional Distraction: Engaging with music directs the brain’s cognitive focus away from nociceptive (pain) signals, shrinking the perception of discomfort.
4.Stress and Anxiety Reduction: Pain often worsens when combined with anxiety or stress. Music helps regulate the nervous system, which in turn diminishes the emotional amplification of physical pain.
Music therapy is highly adaptable and used across a variety of healthcare settings:
1.Surgery and Procedures: Perioperative music listening reduces postoperative pain, lowers opioid/analgesic requirements, and decreases procedural anxiety.
2.Chronic Pain: It is used to manage ongoing conditions like fibromyalgia, lumbar (lower back) pain, and cancer-related pain by fostering daily coping skills.
3.Palliative Care: At end-of-life or in hospice, music therapy helps manage symptoms, elevates mood, and provides emotional expression.
We conducted a music therapy session on 22/06/26 from 12.30p.m onwards to celebrate " World Music Day" under guidance of Dr Parthasarathi Eklavya at the seminar hall of ESI Institute of Pain Management.
