Learning Objective #1: Understand cultural differences in choosing music to relieve postoperative pain

Learning Objective #2: Understand the effect of music on postoperative pain compared to analgesic medication alone while considering cultural differences

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The purpose was to test effect of music on pain following gynecological surgery and to explore preferences and differences in effect between Korean vs American music in postoperative women in Korea. The 73 women were randomly assigned; 34 (47%) were in the music group and 39 (53%) in the control group. Those receiving music were given a choice of # types: 2 types of Korean music (ballads or religious) and # types of American music (name them). Pain control methods were according to physician order: Patient Controlled Epidural Analgesia (PCEA) (59%) or intravenous/intramuscular (IV/IM) (41%) methods of pain control. The majority of those in the music group chose the Korean selections: Korean ballad or religious music (n=20, 59%). With an experimental pretest-posttest design, chosen music was heard during 20 minutes of rest on postoperative days 1 and 2, am and pm. The control group rested for 20 minutes. Pain was measured with Visual Analogue Sensation and Distress of Pain scales. Analysis of Covariance while controlling for pretest pain scores, showed that the music group had significantly less posttest pain sensation and distress on day 1 pm and less sensation day 1 am. More Korean women chose Korean music, although nearly half chose American music to relax and distract during postoperative pain. Both Korean and American kinds of sedative music resulted in 9.3% to 23.7% less postoperative pain than analgesic medication alone.