Listening to music during shock wave lithotripsy decreases anxiety, pain, and dissatisfaction

We analyzed the effects of music on pain, anxiety, and overall satisfaction in patients undergoing a shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) procedure.

A total of 200 patients scheduled to undergo SWL were included in this study. Group 1 consisted of 95 patients who listened to music during the SWL session while group 2 included 105 patients who did not listen music during the procedure. State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was used to assess state and trait anxiety (STAI-S/T). A visual analog scale (VAS) was used at the end of the session in order to assess pain, willingness to repeat the procedure, and overall patient satisfaction. Hemodynamic parameters including systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and heart rate (HR) were recorded before and after the session.

No statistically significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of stone characteristics, SWL parameters, pre-SWL STAI-T/S scores, and pre-SWL hemodynamic parameters. Post-SWL STAI-S scores were found to be lower in patients who listened to music (p = 0.006). At the end of the SWL, VAS scores of pain, satisfaction, and willingness to repeat procedure were significantly different in favor of the music group (p = 0.007, p = 0.001, p = 0.015, respectively). SBP, DBP, and HR were significantly higher in patients who did not listen to music (p = 0.002, p = 0.024, p = 0.001, respectively).

Music can be an ideal adjunctive treatment modality for patients undergoing SWL treatment. It has the potential to enhance patient compliance and treatment satisfaction by reducing the procedure-related anxiety and pain perception.