Effect of Perioperative Music Therapy/Medicine on Postoperative Pain in Women Undergoing Elective Lower Segment Caesarean Section Delivery under Spinal Anaesthesia: A Case-control Study

Abstract

Introduction: Women undergoing elective Lower Segment Caesarean Section (LSCS) delivery under spinal anaesthesia usually experience anxiety and stress due to unpleasant operative environment. Music therapy/music medicine has been found to relieve anxiety and stress besides decreasing pain and stable cardiorespiratory parameters. Aim: To assess the effect of perioperative music therapy/music medicine on pain and cardio respiratory parameters in women undergoing elective LSCS under spinal anaesthesia. Materials and Methods: The present study was case-control study in which 60 consecutive parturient women, planned for elective LSCS delivery under spinal anaesthesia, were randomly divided into music and non music groups of 30 each. Demographic characteristics of women were recorded. The ‘music group’ received preselected music three times for 20 minutes each along with standardised analgesia protocol. The ‘non music group’ received standardised analgesia protocol only. Respiratory and haemodynamic parameters were assessed during perioperative period. Postoperative pain was assessed using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores in addition to comparisons of time for rescue analgesia between study and control groups. Statistical differences were derived using Mann-Whitney U-test. Results: Demographic characteristics of women were statistically insignificant. Significant differences were observed in Heart Rate (HR) at 30, 45 and 60 minutes Postanaesthesia Care Unit (PACU) (p-value 0.0278, 0.0151 and 0.02852, respectively) and Respiratory Rate (RR) at 60 minutes PACU (p-value 0.04884). This study found beneficial effect of music on pain as assessed by VAS in the postoperative period. Beneficial effect of music on pain observed in study group vs. controls at 1 hour (0.64 vs. 1.51), 2 hours (1.88 vs. 2.76) and 3 hours (3.07 vs. 3.47) of PACU stay (p-value 0.0003, 0.00152 and 0.02444, respectively). The study also detected a significant delay (29 minutes) in time for first rescue analgesia in music group (p-value 0.01732). Conclusion: Music therapy/medicine during elective LSCS delivery is beneficial on HR, respiratory rate, VAS and time to rescue analgesia.