Hospital Based Obstetrical Music Therapy: A Pilot Program reports: "The induction of relaxation has come to be regarded as a positive element in the relief of pain, stress, and anxiety (Bernstein & Borkovec, 1973 as cited in Hanser, Larson, & O’Connell, 1983). Music coupled with relaxation techniques, such as progressive muscle relaxation, imagery, deep breathing, and suggestion, has been effective in facilitating relaxation and reducing perceived pain (Standley, 1986). The existing literature base supports the potential of obstetrical music therapy to make a significant contribution to maternal and neo-natal health (McKinney, 1990)." ... "In general, researchers have found that slow, quiet, non-vocal music tends to lower physiological responses associated with stress and anxiety (Standley, 1986)." SOURCE: http://www.musictherapy.ca/docs/confproc/2006/bruce.pdf

Medscape.com: Nonpharmacologic Approaches to Relieve Labor Pain: Music and Audioanalgesia "Audioanalgesia is the use of auditory stimulation, such as music, white noise, or environmental sounds to decrease pain perception. Its use is popular for the relief of pain during dental work, after surgery, and for other painful situations. It is also used during labor; in fact, many hospital maternity departments and birth centers provide CD/DVD tape players." ... "Choosing music that helps her relax, lift her spirits, or greet her baby personalizes the birth event and may give her a greater sense of control." ... "Most studies of audioanalgesia during labor have reported that it can increase pain tolerance, reinforce or elevate moods, or cue the woman to move or breathe rhythmically, especially if she has conditioned herself to do so before the onset of labor." SOURCE: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/494120_15

Birthingnaturally.net offers suggestions related to music for labor and delivery: "To use music in labor you must have pre-recorded music and a way to play that music. Some mothers find making a tape or CD of their favorite songs works well. Other mothers buy a relaxing CD specifically for labor. You can bring a tape or CD player to your birth place, or call before labor begins to find out what they have available. It is a good idea to have a selection of music available. Music with a faster tempo can be used when the mother needs more energy and to help her keep moving between contractions. Music with deeper tones and slower tempo can be used to encourage relaxation and swaying in place when the mother needs a rest." SOURCE: http://www.birthingnaturally.net/cn/tool/music.html

Here are some other medical studies that have found
health benefits from relaxation music...

Music Helps Decrease Anxiety and Promotes Relaxation A study conducted by the University of Iowa, College of Nursing (Iowa City, 52242, USA), reported that relaxing music was found to be effective for decreasing anxiety and promoting relaxation, as indicated by decreases in heart rate and respiratory rate. Subject significantly less anxiety posttest (10.1) than those subjects in the control group (16.2). Heart rate and respiratory rate decreased over time for those subjects in the music group as compared with the control group subjects. SOURCE: University of Iowa, College of Nursing, Iowa City 52242, USA. Department of Health & Human Services. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?itool=abstractplus&db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=abstractplus&list_uids=9622403

Music can help reduce chronic pain A study published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing found that adults with chronic pain reported less pain, depression, and disability and felt more empowered after a week of listening to music for an hour a day. SOURCES: Siedliecki, S. Journal of Advanced Nursing, June 2006; vol 54: pp 553-562. News release, Journal of Advanced Nursing. http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=62252

Study Shows Music Improves Heart Rates, Breathing, and Blood Pressure A study at Italy's University of Pavia, led by Luciano Bernardi, MD, indicates that music could enhance heart health. Bernardi's study was included 24 healthy people in their early to mid-20s, half of whom were accomplished musicians. The study participants would lie down and rest quietly for 20 minutes, then listen to a random selection of music on headsets. Researchers monitored their heart rates, breathing, blood pressure, and other vital signs (including during the rest period). Heart rates, breathing, and blood pressure improved beyond that seen before the participants listened to any music. SOURCES: Bernardi, L. Heart, advance online edition. News release, BMJ Specialist Journals. http://heart.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/92/4/445

Music therapy can act as a simple and safe nursing intervention to allay anxiety and promote patient comfort. "Music can provide an effective method of reducing potentially harmful physiological responses arising from anxiety in mechanically ventilated patients." SOURCE: Department of Health & Human Services. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?itool=abstractplus&db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=abstractplus&list_uids=15840076

Post-surgery patients may feel less pain and need less pain medicine if they listen to music, according to a new research review. The review in The Cochrane Library shows that patients who listened to music after surgery tended to report less pain intensity and required slightly smaller doses of painkillers, compared with those who didn't listen to music. "Music should not be considered as a primary method for pain relief," the researchers write. However, they note that music may easily, inexpensively, and safely help cut surgery patients' pain and painkiller needs. The reviewers included M. Soledad Cepeda, MD, PhD. Cepeda is a visiting professor of anesthesiology at Tufts-New England Medical Center in Massachusetts, and a professor in the anesthesiology department at Javeriana University's medical school in Bogota, Colombia. SOURCES: Cepeda, M. The Cochrane Library, 2006; Issue 2. Health Behavior News Service. http://www.webmd.com/news/20060421/music-may-help-soothe-surgery-pain

More Hospitals Healing With the Help of Music Therapy "Music can ease anxiety and even reduce the perception of pain. It can even decrease the need for medications that help patients deal with fear and pain" according to Joanne V. Loewy, PhD, director of the music therapy program at New York's Beth Israel Medical Center. Music also helps newborns thrive in Beth Israel's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Just one hour of music every day helps babies "eat more, sleep more, gain more weight. These babies are very compromised. They're on machines. The environment is typically very loud and noisy. Music softens the environment and soothes them," Dr. Loewy said. SOURCES: WebMD article by Jeanie Lerche Davis - published Nov. 6, 2000 http://blogs.webmd.com/pain-management-and-migraine-relief/2006/01/music-and-pain-management.html

Music Helps Reduce Anxiety and Improve Sleep Quality A study at the University of Kansas, explored the effect of a music therapy procedure (music listening paired with progressive muscle relaxation) on the reduction of anxiety and improvement of sleep patterns in abused women in shelters. Twenty-eight women residing in 2 domestic violence shelters in a Midwestern city met with the researcher on 5 consecutive days for half-hour sessions. A pretest-posttest design with control and experimental groups was used. The dependent variables included: stait anxiety measured by the STAI (Spielberger et al., 1983) before and after each music stimulus, sleep quality as measured by the PSQI (Buysse et al., 1989) on the first and last sessions, and levels of fatigue as measured by the Fatigue Scale (Lee, 1992) at waking time. The independent variable was a 20-minute recording of participant-selected music with a Progressive Muscle Relaxation script. Results indicated that music therapy constituted an effective method for reducing anxiety levels. Results also indicated a significant effect on sleep quality for the experimental group, but not for the control group. ...These results seem promising in the light of domestic violence research, which has found that a greater amount of personal resources is a crucial aspect of abused women's recovery process. Reduction of anxiety and improvement of sleep quality can be considered as increased personal resources, and seem feasible through the use of music therapy. SOURCES: J Music Ther. 2005 Summer;42(2):140-58. Hernandez-Ruiz E. The University of Kansas, Kansas, USA. PMID: 15913391 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Study Finds That Music Helps Reduce Patients' Anxiety During Minor Surgery With Local Anesthesia. Undergoing surgery with local anesthesia is stressful because patients often are aware of their surroundings. This study investigated music as a method of reducing patients' anxiety during minor surgery with local anesthesia. For this study, researchers assessed the effectiveness of music as a relaxation modality by measuring patients' vital signs and self-reported anxiety before and after surgery. Study results indicate that patients who listened to their choice of music during surgery experienced significantly lower anxiety levels, heart rates, and blood pressure than patients who did not listen to music. SOURCE: AORN J. 2003 Feb;77(2):396-7, 401-6, 409-10. Mok E, Wong KY., Department of Nursing and Health Sciences, Hong Kong Polytechnic University. PMID: 12619853 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]