Live music-assisted relaxation reduced pain after early sessions in a burn-care trial
Adult burn patients in intensive care reported less ongoing pain after the first sessions than patients receiving standard care alone. Anxiety, depression and medication results did not show an intervention advantage.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Adult burn patients receiving music-assisted relaxation alongside standard care reported less background pain after the first sessions than those receiving standard care alone. The abstract does not demonstrate a sustained advantage across later sessions. Anxiety and depression changed over time without a treatment-specific effect, and pain medication administration did not differ.
The abstract does not give numerical pain differences or confidence intervals. Its early-session findings and severe-pain subgroup observation should not be extended to all sessions, other patients or lasting pain relief.
What researchers found
Perceived background pain
Standard care plus music-assisted relaxation versus standard care alone, after sessions 1 and 2; numerical effect estimates were not reported in the abstract.
The main outcome was reported pain
The trial's primary question concerned background pain, meaning ongoing pain. The authors also highlighted a finding among patients reporting severe pain, but the abstract does not provide enough detail to judge that subgroup result precisely.
Other outcomes did not follow the same pattern
Changes in anxiety and depression were associated with time rather than treatment assignment. Vital signs and pain medication administration showed no detected group differences. These results leave uncertainty about effects beyond the early reported pain outcome.
The original publication
The effect of music therapy on background pain, anxiety, depression, vital signs, and medication usage in adult burn patients in the Intensive Care Unit: A randomized controlled trial.
Ettenberger M, Maya R, Salgado-Vasco A et al.
Burns · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 40602276
- Record checked
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