Music Therapy: To Decrease Pain and Anxiety in Active Labor Compared to Pharmacological Interventions

Pain management during active labor is crucial for a safe and positive outcome, when delivering a baby and stabilizing the mother during postpartum care. A study in Italy of 30 random women who were pregnant and labored between 37 weeks and 42 weeks gestation participated in a control group and intervention group while in active labor, found out that music plays a big part in lowering a women’s labor pain during labor and postpartum (Buglione et al., 2020, p. 694). Music can shift a person’s perception of pain and distract them from the current physical pain (Levy, 2017, p. 23). This research will explore the effectiveness of music therapy to decrease pain and anxiety during active labor compared to pharmacological interventions.