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. 2014 Feb 11:5:90.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00090. eCollection 2014.

Music reduces pain and increases functional mobility in fibromyalgia

Eduardo A Garza-Villarreal  1 , Andrew D Wilson  2 , Lene Vase  3 , Elvira Brattico  4 , Fernando A Barrios  5 , Troels S Jensen  6 , Juan I Romero-Romo  7 , Peter Vuust  8
Affiliations

Music reduces pain and increases functional mobility in fibromyalgia

Eduardo A Garza-Villarreal et al. Front Psychol. .

Abstract

The pain in Fibromyalgia (FM) is difficult to treat and functional mobility seems to be an important comorbidity in these patients that could evolve into a disability. In this study we wanted to investigate the analgesic effects of music in FM pain. Twenty-two FM patients were passively exposed to (1) self-chosen, relaxing, pleasant music, and to (2) a control auditory condition (pink noise). They rated pain and performed the "timed-up & go task (TUG)" to measure functional mobility after each auditory condition. Listening to relaxing, pleasant, self-chosen music reduced pain and increased functional mobility significantly in our FM patients. The music-induced analgesia was significantly correlated with the TUG scores; thereby suggesting that the reduction in pain unpleasantness increased functional mobility. Notably, this mobility improvement was obtained with music played prior to the motor task (not during), therefore the effect cannot be explained merely by motor entrainment to a fast rhythm. Cognitive and emotional mechanisms seem to be central to music-induced analgesia. Our findings encourage the use of music as a treatment adjuvant to reduce chronic pain in FM and increase functional mobility thereby reducing the risk of disability.

Keywords: analgesia; fibromyalgia; functional mobility; music; pain.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Paradigm to study music-induced analgesia. The participants listened to both conditions in between a washout period, with 2 min rests. r, Rest condition.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Results of the verbal rating scale (VRS) before and after the control/music conditions. The bars represent the mean of each measure (A = Pain intensity, B = Pain unpleasantness), whereas the error bars represent the standard deviation. Above the error bars we show the Mean (SD) for each measure. *p < 0.05, ***p < 0.006.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Results of the timed up and go task (TUG) before and after the control/music conditions. The bars represent the mean of each measure, whereas the error bars represent the standard deviation. Above the error bars we show the Mean (SD) for each measure. ***p < 0.006.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Scatter plot of the relationship between pain unpleasantness and functional mobility difference scores in the music condition. Δ, pre-post auditory stimulus; TUG, Timed up and go task.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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