Jodie Freeman, Anna Klingele, Ursula Wolf
Institute of Complementary and Integrative Medicine (F.J., K.A., W.U.), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Institute of Complementary and Integrative Medicine (F.J., K.A., W.U.), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
J Pain Symptom Manage. 2025 Jan;69(1):102-113. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2024.07.024. Epub 2024 Aug 13.
Music therapy, aromatherapy and massage therapy are widely used in palliative care in patients near end-of-life with the aim to reduce symptom burden and improve quality of life (QoL). Recent research shows an increase in popularity and use of complementary and integrative medicine however a more thorough evidence base about their usefulness is required.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the available evidence on the use of music therapy, aromatherapy and massage therapy in palliative and hospice care and summarize findings.
A defined search strategy was used in reviewing literature from two major databases, MEDLINE and Embase for the period between 2010 and 2022. Studies were selected for further evaluation based on intervention type and relevancy. After evaluation using quality assessment tools, findings were summarised, and potential benefits were identified.
Out of 1261 studies initially identified, 26 were selected for further evaluation. Sixteen evaluated music therapy, four aromatherapy and massage therapy. The most represented outcomes were pain, anxiety, well-being and QoL. Many studies demonstrated a short-term benefit in symptom improvement. Qualitative studies showed that these complementary methods are highly valued.
Main results found that music and massage therapy had the most potential benefits on a range of outcome parameters, including pain and QoL. Future studies may consider using more qualitative and/or mixed methods to provide a more comprehensive evaluation of treatment.
音乐疗法、芳香疗法和按摩疗法在临终患者的姑息治疗中被广泛使用，目的是减轻症状负担并提高生活质量（QoL）。最近的研究表明，补充和替代医学的受欢迎程度和使用有所增加，但需要更全面的证据来证明其有效性。
本研究的目的是评估音乐疗法、芳香疗法和按摩疗法在姑息和临终关怀中使用的现有证据，并总结研究结果。
采用既定的检索策略，检索2010年至2022年期间两个主要数据库MEDLINE和Embase中的文献。根据干预类型和相关性选择研究进行进一步评估。使用质量评估工具进行评估后，总结研究结果并确定潜在益处。
在最初识别的1261项研究中，26项被选择进行进一步评估。16项评估音乐疗法，4项评估芳香疗法和按摩疗法。最常出现的结果是疼痛、焦虑、幸福感和生活质量。许多研究表明在症状改善方面有短期益处。定性研究表明，这些补充方法受到高度重视。
主要结果发现，音乐和按摩疗法在一系列结果参数上具有最大的潜在益处，包括疼痛和生活质量。未来的研究可能会考虑使用更多的定性和/或混合方法，以对治疗进行更全面的评估。
