title: Effects of listening to music on pain intensity and pain distress after surgery: an intervention.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effects of music listening on pain intensity and pain distress on the first and second postoperative days in abdominal surgery patients and the long-term effects of music on the third postoperative day.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Music has been found to relieve pain intensity in surgery patients. There are only a few studies on music intervention in abdominal surgery. Music intervention studies assessing multidimensional pain such as pain intensity and pain distress are also scarce.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective clinical study with two parallel groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients undergoing elective abdominal surgery (n = 168) were divided into either a music group (n = 83) or a control group (n = 85). Patients assessed pain intensity and pain distress in bed rest, during deep breathing and in shifting position once in the evening of the operation day and on the first and second postoperative days in the morning, at noon and in the evening. On the third postoperative day, the patients assessed their pain intensity and pain distress only once.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the music group, the patients' pain intensity and pain distress in bed rest, during deep breathing and in shifting position were significantly lower on the second postoperative day compared with control group of patients. On the third postoperative day, when long-term effects of music on pain intensity and pain distress were assessed, there were no significant differences between music and control groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates that the use of music alleviates pain intensity and pain distress in bed rest, during deep breathing and in shifting position after abdominal surgery on the second postoperative day. Music intervention is safe, inexpensive and easily used to improve the healing environment for abdominal surgery patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Music intervention should be offered as an adjunct alternative to pharmacological pain relief after abdominal surgery in nursing practice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing Science, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland. anne.vaajoki@pp.inet.fi
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vaajoki
authors.forename: Anna-Maija
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Pietilä
authors.forename: Päivi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kankkunen
authors.forename: Katri
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vehviläinen-Julkunen
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001007:Anxiety / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007813:Laparotomy / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009147:Music Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017288:Pain Threshold; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics