Study on Music Therapy and Chronic Pain
Researchers at the University of Limerick (UL) studying music therapy and chronic pain are looking for ten participants for an eight week study between July and August 2019. This is a collaborative project between the UL researchers and Chronic Pain Ireland which is offering a free programme of music therapy for ten participants. To express your interest in joining the study or for more information, please email [email protected] before the 24th of July 2019.
To participate in this study, you must have chronic pain persisting over 6 months. You must have attended a pain specialist at some point in your illness and be aged 18-65 years. As the weekly music therapy sessions will take place at the Irish World Academy of Music in the University of Limerick, we are looking for people living in Limerick or the mid-west region.
What is music therapy?
Music therapy engages people in a variety of musical experiences to restore, maintain or improve functioning and quality of life. In music therapy, music is created by both the client and therapist using a variety of instruments and the voice. Participants may use the session to express feelings, emotions and experiences through music, words or silence. Music therapy offers a supportive confidential environment where the music is a vehicle for expression, interaction and change.
What is expected of participants?
Music therapy is suitable for everyone. There is no need for any prior musical experience. Participants in the study will attend hour-long individual music therapy sessions once a week for eight weeks. Over the course of the eight weeks, you will be asked to rate your pain before and after music therapy. You will also be asked to fill in a questionnaire at the start and end of the eight weeks. Following your eight sessions, you will be invited to an interview on your experience of music therapy. Interviews will be conducted in September or October over the phone or in person, depending on your preference and availability.
Why should you partake?
By participating in this study, you will receive ten hour long sessions of music therapy free of charge. Participation in music therapy might help you with relaxation, stress relief, coping with pain, expressing emotion, reducing anxiety and elevating mood.
As a person with chronic pain, your opinion and experience are invaluable in helping us to understand whether music therapy is useful or not. Participating in this research will allow you to share your experience of music therapy. By doing so you will be contributing to research in the area of chronic pain that could potentially help other people with this condition. Researchers can then use this knowledge for future practice decisions.
To express your interest in joining the study or for more information, please email [email protected] before the 24th of July 2019.
