Throughout the world it has become common practice to use music as a complementary treatment, and through research simultaneously investigate the effect of music in a variety of treatment situations. In the Nordic region ÖrebroUniversityHospital, with anesthesia nurse, Assistant Professor Ulrica Nilsson in front, a pioneer in both the use of music and research in this area. For many years ÖrebroUniversityHospital has been in the lead to show very positive research results and success with the daily use of music,and the first to introduce an internal radio channel which daily play classical and contemporary relaxing music for patients. Read more about Örebro University and the work of Ulrica Nilsson here.
In the rest of Sweden as well as in Norway and Denmark, a large number of hospitals have established therapy with music by default, and in particular the Musica Humana project team has conducted many years of research in this area. This applies to University Hospitals in Malmö in Sweden, Ullevål in Norway, Aalborg, Odense and Aarhus in Denmark, and Rigshospitalet and HerlevHospital in Copenhagen.
Independent projects with particular specially designed music has taken place in psychiatry wards and in the context of different institutions, including research in music's effect on anxious psychiatric patients, children with autism and traumatized refugees.
Learn more about these projects and other activities under Publications & Articles.
In the rest of Sweden as well as in Norway and Denmark, a large number of hospitals have established therapy with music by default, and in particular the Musica Humana project team has conducted many years of research in this area. This applies to University Hospitals in Malmö in Sweden, Ullevål in Norway, Aalborg, Odense and Aarhus in Denmark, and Rigshospitalet and HerlevHospital in Copenhagen.
Independent projects with particular specially designed music has taken place in psychiatry wards and in the context of different institutions, including research in music's effect on anxious psychiatric patients, children with autism and traumatized refugees.
Learn more about these projects and other activities under Publications & Articles.
In the article "Caring Music" Ulrica Nilsson examines a wide range of general issues surrounding the use of music in different treatment and research situations, and further provides advice and experience from her work at ÖrebroUniversityHospital - specifically on the use of music in perioperative care, Ulrica Nilsson writes:
“Studies to test the effect of relaxing music on the patient's experience of anxiety and discomfort before, during or after surgery has shown positive results. Listening to music has a pain reducing effect seen as reduced subjective pain perception and reduced need for analgesic drugs. Music has also a calming effect seen as reduced subjective anxiety and a reduced need for sedation. Some hemodynamic effects have also occurred in the form of reduced heart rate, blood pressure and breathing rate. Other positive effects on patients’ postoperative recovery such as reduced acute confusion and delirium in elders undergoing elective hip and knee surgery has been reported as well as reduced physiological stress response in the immediate postoperative recovery seen in decreased Cortisol levels after different types of day surgery. Listening to music also affects the experience of satisfaction and comfort in the postoperative care as well as reducing emotional stress.
Scientific evidence is also available on patients reporting that the acoustic environment is of great importance for their wellbeing during their first postoperative recovery face. The majority of patients undergoing an operation also want to wake up to music and mean that music has a great impact on their postoperative wellbeing.”
Two examples:
Intensive care
Heart rate and blood pressure can decrease if the intensive care patients listen to relaxing music. Music listening can also lead to a positive mood. Furthermore, if music being played in connection with the wound care of burn injuries the patient's experience of pain can decrease.
Cardiac care
Music listening can have a beneficial effect on blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, anxiety, and pain in persons with coronary heart disease. However, the anxiety-reducing effects of music in myocardial infarction patients may be considered small. Music listening may also reduce myocardial oxygen demand as well as have a beneficial effect on mood.
Read much more about the experiences from ÖrebroUniversityHospital and about Ulrica Nilsson’s research:
Ulrica Nilsson website and the Article ‘Caring Music’