Music for pain relief

Cepeda MS, Carr DB, Lau J, Alvarez H. Music for pain relief. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2006, Issue 2. Art. No.: CD004843. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD004843.pub2

http://summaries.cochrane.org/CD004843/music-for-pain-relief

Music should not be considered a first line treatment for pain relief as the magnitude of its benefits is small. Listening to music for treatment of pain offers potential advantages of low cost, ease of provision, and safety. This systematic review included 51 studies involving 3663 subjects. The review authors found that music reduced pain, increased the number of patients who reported at least 50% pain relief, and reduced requirements for morphine-like analgesics. However, as the magnitude of these positive effects is small, the clinical relevance of music for pain relief in clinical practice is unclear