Music Therapy as a Treatment for Pediatric Surgical Patients

Music therapy is defined as “clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals”, and may consist of either performing or listening to music. My research focused on how listening to music benefits pediatric surgical patients by decreasing their postoperative pain and anxiety, as well as my own thoughts about how the research on this topic can be expanded in the future. Music therapy was proven to decrease patient’s vital signs, behaviors that reflect feelings of pain and anxiety, as well as self-reported levels. Studies show that specific musical factors provide more benefit than others, such as a steady beat, songs with positive content, and whether or not the patient enjoys it. Decreasing pain and anxiety are imperative to postoperative care, for the sake of the patient’s comfort and expedited healing. Music therapy is a great option to treat both conditions, because it’s cheaper and far safer than pharmacological options