Comparative Effect of Nature-Based Sounds Intervention and Headphones Intervention on Pain Severity After Cesarean Section: A Prospective Double-Blind Randomized Trial

Abstract

Background Non‐pharmacological treatment methods are being increasingly investigated for pain prevention and relief either alone or in combination with pharmacological treatment. Methods The present randomized placebo-controlled trial was conducted on 57 mothers undergoing elective cesarean section over 10 months from April 2015 to February 2016. The participants were randomly assigned to three groups: control, headphone, and nature-based sounds (N-BS). The investigator recorded pain severity every eight hours after the surgery. Mothers in the headphone group used headphones for 20 minutes (without playing sounds) and mothers in the N-BS group used headphones and listened to N-BS for 20 minutes. We played pleasant nature sounds for the N-BS group using media players and headphones. Mothers’ pain severity was measured immediately before the intervention and 15 and 60 minutes after the end of the intervention. Results The N-BS group had a significantly lower pain severity than the headphone and control groups. Statistically insignificant differences were observed between the control and headphone groups indicating that headphone only did not reduce the pain in the intervention group. These reductions were more evident progressively in 15 and 60 minutes after the end of the intervention. Conclusions The application of N-BS for mothers undergoing elective cesarean section promotes nursing autonomy and the notion that nurses can influence the patient’s environment.

PROSPECT guideline for elective caesarean section: updated systematic review and procedure‐specific postoperative pain management recommendations

“…A comparison of a fixed time‐interval with on‐demand oral analgesia concluded that the former was associated with better pain scores [129]. One study evaluated the use of relaxation sounds intra‐ or postoperatively and showed improved pain scores [130]. One study evaluated the use of early skin‐to‐skin contact between mother and baby and noted no differences in postoperative pain scores [131].…”

Pain Reduction With an Immersive Digital Therapeutic Tool in Women Living With Endometriosis-Related Pelvic Pain: Randomized Controlled Trial

“…Indeed, a systematic review noted multiple analgesics for their ability to relieve acute postoperative pain by half over a 4-6-hour period [44]. In our study, to potentialize VR effects, we chose various auditory (eg, alpha/theta binaural beats, nature-based sounds) and visual (eg, bilateral alternative stimulations) therapeutic procedures known to relieve pain in different conditions (eg, premenstrual pain, medical imaging procedures, experimental pain, or caesarean section [25][26][27]). Lucine aimed to combine these stimuli into the DTx treatment Endocare to act on different components of pain.…”

“…On these bases, a new digital therapeutic approach, Endocare, was created by combining various therapeutic procedures based on several modalities in a VR environment, individually known to reduce pain [25][26][27]. Endocare therapeutic procedures comprise auditory (eg, alpha/theta binaural beats, nature-based sounds) and visual (eg, bilateral alternative stimulations) components associated with a 3D VR environment.…”

Exposure to greenspaces could reduce the high global burden of pain

“…The biophilia hypothesis -where humans have an innate and natural affiliation with nature (Wilson, 1986) -has traditionally been central to the proposed link between greenspace exposure and health outcomes, and relates to exposure to the sights and sounds of nature. Listening to pleasant nature sounds during elective Caesarean section has been shown to reduce post-operative pain severity (Farzaneh et al, 2019), and also resulted in lower pain for those undergoing mechanical ventilation (Saadatmand et al, 2015). Combined natural sounds and sights have resulted in lower pain severity compared with both city sounds and sights and with a control during bone marrow aspiration and biopsy (Lechtzin et al, 2010).…”