Exploring the use of Vibroacoustic treatment for managing chronic pain and comorbid mood disorders: A mixed methods study

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Chronic pain is a worldwide issue with common comorbidities of depression and anxiety, altogether inhibiting one’s personal relationships and capability to work. Music has long been used as a means to improve pain and mood, and the tactile application of music has shown promising and beneficial results for the treatment of both psychological and physical symptoms. VA treatment uses low-frequency sinusoidal sound vibration (20–120 Hz) supported by client-preferred music listening and therapeutic interaction.

Methods: Using mixed methods, this study addresses the addition of a self-care VA intervention to maintain the effects of practitioner-led VA treatments and to increase patients’ independence in managing their symptoms. After baseline measurements, VA treatment was delivered to five patients at a rehabilitation unit by a trained VA practitioner, followed by self-care at home and a washout phase with no treatments. Quantitative outcome measures included Visual Analogue Scales for pain and mood, and Beck’s Depression Inventory and the anxiety subscale of Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Qualitative data comprised practitioner clinical notes and participant evaluation forms.

Results: Quantitative outcomes suggest VA treatment is beneficial for pain and mood relief and that a self-care intervention has the potential to prolong positive outcomes. Qualitative findings suggest that patients found the sessions at the hospital useful and empowering but the self-care treatments comparatively weak.

Discussion: Future studies may address the difficulty in conducting self-care and the importance of the client–practitioner relationship in supporting this activity for those suffering from chronic pain and comorbid mood disorders.

KEYWORDS:

• Vibroacoustic (VA) treatment
• chronic pain
• depression
• anxiety
• self-care

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to acknowledge the comments and advice from Anna-Kaisa Ylitalo, Olivier Brabant, and the peer reading group on earlier drafts of this manuscript. This work was supported by the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Finland.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed here.

Notes

¹ Jensen and colleagues’ recommendations for VAS were based on the anchors the 0 = no pain; 100 = worst pain imaginable. As this study implemented the opposite (i.e. 0 = worst pain imaginable) as is standard protocol at this facility, the guidelines presented here are inverted.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Finland

Notes on contributors

Elsa A. Campbell

Elsa A. Campbell, M.A., is a music therapy doctoral student at the Finnish Centre for Interdisciplinary Music Research, Department of Music, Art and Culture Studies, University of Jyväskylä, Finland. She is also coordinator of the VIBRAC Skille-Lehikoinen Centre for Vibroacoustic Therapy and Research, Finland.

Jouko Hynynen

Jouko Hynynen is a VIBRAC-practitioner at the specialised rehabilitation unit of Seinäjoki Central Hospital in South Ostrobothnia, Finland.

Birgitta Burger

Birgitta Burger, Ph.D., is an Academy of Finland postdoctoral researcher at the Finnish Centre for Interdisciplinary Music Research, Department of Music, Art and Cultural Studies, University of Jyväskylä, Finland.

Esa Ala-Ruona

Esa Ala-Ruona, Ph.D., is a music therapist, psychotherapist, and senior researcher at the Finnish Centre for Interdisciplinary Music Research, Department of Music, Art and Cultural Studies, University of Jyväskylä, Finland.