Philippine E-Journals

The effectiveness of music therapy in the reduction of low back pain due to musculoskeletal disorders

Maria Kayla B. Cacnio | Hazel A. Edquiban | Trisha Marie E. Fontamillas | Fatima N. Medina | Fria Rose R. Santos

Discipline: Physical Therapy

 

Abstract:

Introduction This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of classical music therapy as an adjunct in treating patients with low back pain secondary to musculoskeletal disorders.

Methods This randomized controlled trial utilized 30 participants randomly assigned to either experimental group who listened to classical music by Mozart or control group. Both groups underwent the same exercises for 14 days. The pain scores were determined using a Visual Analogue Scale at the start of the study and before and after each session. Levene's test for equality of variances and an independent sample t-test were used to analyze the difference between the means of the music and control groups.

Results The difference of the means of the music and control groups at baseline and during the treatment sessions were not significantly different based on the Levene's test and t-test. The experimental group reported that they felt calm and relaxed, and that the pain seemed more bearable and even lesser in intensity when they listened to music. Conclusion Classical music therapy may not be an effective adjunct in the treatment of low back pain. This may be due to differences in music taste. The authors recommend exploring or type of music in future studies.