Music therapy alleviates surgical stress, reducing anxiety, pain, and enhancing physiological stability in cardiac patients.
Classical music may do more than soothe the soul—it can enhance recovery for cardiac surgery patients. This interesting observation was put forward by a randomized clinical trial published in a renowned journal- Intensive and Critical Care Nursing. The study found that listening to music before and after surgery significantly reduced anxiety, pain, and improved vital signs, reinforcing its role as a complementary intervention alongside standard medical treatment.
In this trial, 50 adults undergoing elective cardiac surgery were randomly designated to either a music intervention group or a control group receiving routine care. Patients in the music group were exposed to classical music before surgery and on the first postoperative day, whereas the control group received routine care without music. Anxiety, pain levels (at rest and during coughing), and cardiorespiratory parameters were assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS).
Results showed a significant reduction in preoperative anxiety, pain intensity at rest, and pain during coughing along with improved cardiopulmonary stability (Table 1).
Summing up, music or sound therapy is a simple yet powerful tool that could help enhance both psychological and physiological recovery in cardiac surgery patients.
Intensive and Critical Care Nursing
Effect of listening to music on anxiety, pain, and cardiorespiratory parameters in cardiac surgery: A randomized clinical trial
Érica Vieira de Andrade et al.
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