A prospective randomized controlled trial on the effect of music therapy intervention on pain and anxiety in adult patients undergoing total shoulder arthroplasty

Background: Leading studies have demonstrated that patients treated with music therapy (MT) show decreased pain intensity, anxiety, length of hospitalization, and increased pain relief. This study investigated whether MT would reduce pre- and postoperative pain and anxiety in patients undergoing shoulder arthroplasties. Methods: This was a prospective, randomized, nonblinded clinical trial. Patients were randomized into 3 groups: live MT, recorded MT, and control. The primary objective was to determine the change in pain and anxiety scores from pre-MT to post-MT. Linear mixed-effects models were developed to account for repeated measurements within each patient, analyzing pain scores and anxiety T-scores. Results: Total of 108 patients were included in the study. Patients receiving live MT reported significantly greater reduction in pain score (P = .0013) and anxiety score (P = .0002) compared to patients in the control. Patients receiving recorded MT also reported significantly greater reduction in pain score (P = .0142) and anxiety score (P = .0186) compared to patients in the control group. There were no significant differences in pain score (P = .4663) or anxiety score (P = .1791) between the live and recorded MT groups. Conclusions: Patients receiving MT intervention had a significantly greater reduction in pain and anxiety scores compared to the control. Findings were not dependent on live vs. recorded presentation. This study demonstrates the potential benefits of incorporating MT to minimize anxiety and postoperative pain in patients undergoing shoulder arthroplasties.