Medical ProceduresIt
is common for medical procedures to cause a lot of anxiety. This
anxiety is due in part to the unfamiliar hospital environment and the
potential findings of the procedure. Some tests
are routine, but those that are not can be extremely anxiety provoking
because the results may mean a serious illness. Along with anxiety, pain
and discomfort are common experiences during both routine and special
tests. Music listening has been effective in decreasing anxiety and
physiological arousal (heart rate, pulse, breathing rate) prior to
procedures. Listening to preferred, relaxing music for 15-20 minutes can
help reduce anxiety and respiration rate. Music listening with or
without imagery can also help reduce anxiety and pain during unpleasant
procedures. Some research suggests that people need less pain medicine
or sedation when the right kind of music is used during procedures.
These types of reductions can translate into lower medical costs. For
example, Dr. Darcy Walworth, MT-BC examined data from music therapy
procedures with children undergoing CT, ECGs, and the like.2 She was
most interested in the difference in cost when a procedure included
music therapy compared to what is called “usual care”. In some cases,
including music therapy reduced or totally eliminated the use of
sedation or anesthesia, which substantially reduced costs in terms of
the number of staff members needed during the procedure, medication
costs, and time to complete the procedure.