By: Anastasia Abraham, Communications Intern
“Music gives a soul the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.” – Plato
What is Therapeutic Music?
Music therapy is more than just listening to your favorite songs. It is actually a proven healthcare tool. Cancer and its treatment can bring a wave of overwhelming challenges—from stress, anxiety, and depression to memory fog, exhaustion, pain, and nerve discomfort. The good news is that studies show music therapy can help address all of these symptoms, offering a gentle affordable and powerful source of comfort that complements conventional medical treatment.
Curious about what a therapeutic music group looks like in action? Check out this short video of a real music therapy group session:
What are the benefits of Therapeutic Music?
Relieves stress, anxiety, or depression
One of the most well-documented benefits of therapeutic music is its powerful effect on emotional well-being. Research in neuroscience shows that when you listen to music, your brain releases feel-good chemicals called dopamine, that lift your mood and melt away stress. For cancer patients, studies show it also eases anxiety, depression, fatigue, and pain. Music truly heals from the inside out!
Helps with memory loss/cloudy thinking
Many cancer patients experience “chemo brain,” that frustrating feeling of forgetting words, losing focus, or thinking through a fog. Music therapy can help! Because music is processed all across the brain, it has a unique ability to wake up and engage areas that feel sluggish. Studies have shown that music therapy helps patients think more clearly, remember words, recognize people, and stay more mentally alert.
Relieves fatigue or poor health
If you have ever felt completely drained during treatment? Here is some good news: music therapy can actually help fight that tiredness! When you engage with music, your brain releases natural feel-good chemicals that boost your energy and lift your spirits.
Studies show that cancer patients who experience music therapy session report feeling less pain, less tired, and less anxious — and their overall mood improve significantly.
And it is not just cancer patients who benefit. Research shows that whether you are listening to music, singing along, or working with a music therapist, music can meaningfully improve both your mental health and your overall physical well-being. Sometimes the best medicine really does come with a melody!
Relieves pain and neuropathy
Did you know that music has been used to manage pain for centuries? Today, science is backing up what many people have felt all along, that music really does help ease pain! Studies confirm that music therapy can be specifically tailored to help people of all ages deal with physical discomfort. For cancer patients, the results are pretty amazing. A large review of 19 studies involving over 1,500 patients found that music therapy significantly reduced pain, anxiety, and depression, and improved overall quality of life. Just one to two months of music therapy made a noticeable difference! The best part? Music therapy is gentle, affordable, and has no harsh side effects. Whether your pain is in your body, your heart, or both — there just might be a song that can help ease it!
How to participate in therapeutic music through Cancer Services
If you are ready to experience the healing power of therapeutic music, Cancer Services of Northeast Indiana hosts a free therapeutic music session on the second Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m., located at 6316 Mutual Dr., Fort Wayne, IN 46825.
Whether you are a cancer patient or caregiver, we warmly invite you to come and see for yourself. Sometimes, the most powerful step towards healing is the simplest one, and this one comes with a song. We hope to see you there!
References
Frontiers in Psychology. (2020). Music therapy in the psychosocial treatment of adult cancer patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00651/full
Gezgin Yazıcı, H., Ökten, Ç., Karabulut, E., & Aliustaoğlu, M. (2024). Effect of Music on Anxiety and Fatigue in Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Archives of Iranian medicine, 27(11), 611–617. https://doi.org/10.34172/aim.31258
Li, Y., Xing, X., Shi, X., Yan, P., Chen, Y., Li, M., … & Yang, K. (2020). The effectiveness of music therapy for patients with cancer: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. Journal of advanced nursing, 76(5), 1111-1123.
PMC/NIH. (2024). A systematic review on the effect of music intervention on cognitive impairment using EEG, fMRI, and cognitive assessment modalities. ScienceDirect. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590123024004791
