Chu-Hui-Lin Chi, G., Young, A., McFarlane, J., Watson, M., Coleman, R.L., Eifel, P.J., . . . Richardson, M. (2015). Effects of music relaxation video on pain and anxiety for women with gynaecological cancer receiving intracavitary brachytherapy: A randomised controlled trial. Journal of Research in Nursing, 20, 129–144.
To determine the effect of watching a music relaxation video on pain and anxiety in women diagnosed with gynecological cancer who were undergoing intra-cavitary brachytherapy
A music relaxation video was played four times for a total of 120 minutes during the first 44 hours of brachytherapy treatment, with monitoring of pain scores, opioid consumption, and perceived anxiety scores compared to usual nursing care during the same time period.
Women in the intervention group reported less pain. There was no difference in levels of opioid consumption between the intervention and control groups. Participants in the music viewing group indicated significantly reduced anxiety levels in analysis (p = 0.001).
Nurses and other medical personnel should consider using music relaxation videos to help reduce pain and anxiety during intracavitary brachytherapy and other procedures that may be uncomfortable. The intervention is non-invasive, with beneficial effects.
This non-invasive intervention could be nurse-driven without a physician’s order. Women undergoing brachytherapy must lie still in a shielded isolation room for 2-3 days with limitations on visitors, resulting in physical and psychological discomforts, including pain. This study shows that pain experiences may be lessened with music relaxation videos.