How Music Therapy Rivals Opioids in Pain Relief Source: Medscape (German edition) – Ute Eppinger Date: July 30, 2025
How Music Therapy Rivals Opioids in Pain Relief
Source: Medscape (German edition) – Ute Eppinger
Date: July 30, 2025
1. What It Is – Music therapy uses music and rhythm (e.g., tango dance, choral singing) to improve physical and mental health.
2. Evidence Base – Over 9000 studies (including 1500 randomized controlled trials and 360 systematic reviews) confirm its benefits. In Germany, it is included in 37 national clinical guidelines, many at the highest evidence level.
3. Proven Benefits Across Conditions –
• Parkinson’s disease: improves balance and coordination.
• Dementia: reduces depression, anxiety, and restlessness.
• Stroke: supports speech recovery.
• Cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, and mental illness: moderate symptom improvement.
4. Pain Relief Comparable to Opioids – In chronic pain and advanced cancer, music therapy can be as effective as opioids but without side effects or addiction risk.
5. For Infants and Children – Improves oxygen levels, heart and breathing rates, brain development, sleep, and parent-child bonding; supports speech in developmental delays.
6. For Trauma Survivors – Helps adolescents and young adults express emotions beyond words, bridging language and cultural barriers.
7. Palliative and Oncology Care – Reduces pain, fatigue, anxiety, depression, heart rate, and blood pressure; effects often match cognitive-behavioral therapy.
8. Main Barrier – Widely used in inpatient care but rarely covered by insurance for outpatients in Germany, limiting access for low-income groups. Experts call for mandatory coverage.
9. Bottom Line – Music therapy is a scientifically proven, safe, and versatile treatment that can complement or even match traditional therapies — and should be accessible to all.
https://click.mail.medscape.com/?qs=f89759379bfa49b86f497d24179c917652f7280afba0d97744047f0078346b927b4f00ddc256dbdf86f32aebf15538736900af099f7cb8320005980a5f065665