Effect of Music Therapy on Pain During Thyroid Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy; A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Introduction High-resolution ultrasonography devices have led to the increased detection of thyroid nodules and the need for fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB). However, FNAB is an invasive procedure that can cause discomfort and pain. Music therapy has been used for centuries to alleviate pain, and our clinical trial was conducted to investigate its impact on pain scores during thyroid FNAB. Materials and methods We conducted a randomized, controlled clinical trial, including adult patients undergoing thyroid FNAB. We evaluated the non-pharmacological intervention of listening to music before and during thyroid FNAB. We used a slow, non-lyrical, flowing melody with a tempo of 60 to 80 beats per minute as a therapeutic intervention for managing anxiety and pain. It had low tones, minimal percussion, and a volume of around 60 decibels. The Beck Anxiety Inventory and Visual Pain Scale were used. Results The study included 529 patients assigned to either the music group (n=258, 48.7%) or the control group (n=271, 51.2%). The patients were categorized into subgroups based on either a single nodule (73.63%) or multiple nodules (24.18%). When all patients or single nodule and multiple data are examined separately, the intervention group showed statistically significantly lower pain scores than the control group. Conclusion Our study is among the first on this topic and the largest in the available literature to demonstrate that listening to music during FNAB significantly reduces pain and anxiety. Music therapy is an effective, safe, and noninvasive intervention that can improve patient care and reduce distress and pain.