The effect of the distraction of thought by music on pain relief in patients undergoing extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy: A randomized controlled trial

Background and aims: The distraction of thought is a technique in which a pleasant stimulus is presented to the patient. This study aimed to investigate the effect of the distraction of thought by music on pain relief in patients undergoing extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL). Methods: This clinical trial was performed on 120 patients referring to Ayatollah Kashani Hospital in Shahrekord for ESWL in 2019. Patients were randomly divided into two experimental and control groups. In addition to routine care, the experimental group received the natural sound of the event, along with its beautiful scenery, while the control group only received routine care. The pain score was measured by the McGill Pain Questionnaire. The data obtained were analyzed by SPSS (version 18) using paired and independent t-tests and Tukey’s test. Results: The two groups were significantly different in terms of pain changes (P=0.007). The mean difference in addictive drug consumption between the control and experimental groups was significant (P=0 004). Conclusion: Thought distraction by music reduces pain and narcotic use of analgesics by the patients under ESWL.