PLOS ONE Scientific Validation
Access or download the PLOS ONE study here:
Effects of the slash compositions highlighted in the PLOS ONE study
Effects on pain and associated symptoms
The integration of music therapy into a structured therapeutic program is associated with an improvement in pain intensity and symptoms frequently linked to chronic pain, such as insomnia.
In the study published in PLOS ONE, patients who benefited from music therapy as part of a comprehensive care program showed, like the other therapeutic approaches investigated, a progressive and lasting improvement in these parameters over the medium and long term (6 to 12 months).
Music acts in particular as a support for emotional regulation, a self-soothing tool, and an attention facilitator, contributing to improved subjective tolerance of pain in chronic pain contexts.
Improvement in quality of life
The study results highlight an improvement in physical quality of life, particularly reflected in the PCS (Physical Component Score) of the SF-36 questionnaire, a reference instrument for the assessment of physical health.
Participants also reported a better perception of control over their pain and emotional responses, a factor known to be essential in adaptation to chronic pain and the improvement of mental quality of life.
Role in the evolution of pain-related beliefs and attitudes
Music therapy contributes to a favorable evolution of certain beliefs and attitudes related to chronic pain, such as the perception of disability or the belief that pain necessarily implies physical injury, assessed in particular using the SOPA-35 scale.
These changes suggest an improvement in the subjective relationship to pain, promoting self-regulation and more active patient involvement in symptom management.
Long-term effects
The benefits observed in the group that received music therapy integrated into a self-care program were maintained up to 12 months after the end of the intervention, indicating that this approach can be part of a long-term therapeutic strategy for patients living with chronic pain.
Complex pain conditions: fibromyalgia and polyalgia
In the study, a higher proportion of patients suffering from fibromyalgia and polyalgia was included in the group receiving music therapy, compared with certain other therapeutic groups.
This distribution suggests that music therapy is perceived as particularly relevant for complex and diffuse pain presentations, characterized by a strong emotional component and altered perceived control, without allowing conclusions to be drawn regarding specific superiority for these diagnoses.
“Randomized longitudinal clinical study conducted at the University Hospital of Liège (CHU de Liège), published in PLOS ONE (2021).”
Summary of clinical results (PLOS ONE, 2021)
A randomized longitudinal clinical study conducted at the University Hospital of Liège and published in PLOS ONEevaluated the integration of music therapy into a structured program for the management of chronic pain.
The results show that, as with the other therapeutic approaches studied, music therapy integrated into a self-care program is associated with a sustained improvement in physical quality of life, perceived control over pain, insomnia, and certain pain-related attitudes, with effects maintained for up to 12 months.
These findings support the use of music therapy as a non-pharmacological complementary tool, relevant within a biopsychosocial approach to chronic pain.
🎵 Music therapy is a clinically recognized allied health discipline in many healthcare systems.
“The musical works presented on this site are intended as supportive tools and do not replace medical or psychological treatment.”
©Alain Collinet 2024