Internet Radio - Applying Modern Technology For Pain Management

Pain management is part of a nurse's goals in helping a client achieve comfort, whether he or she is acutely, chronically, or terminally ill. With the acknowledgement of music therapy as a non-pharmacologic pain reliever, internet music stations serve as great alternatives in promoting client comfort.

Before resorting to pharmacological methods which involves the use of medications to relieve pain, a nurse is entitled to try non-pharmacologic methods first. It is only after the ineffectiveness of these methods that medications will be considered in providing relief of pain.

Music therapy is one of the most widely known non-pharmacologic techniques used to liberate a client from pain. Known as an allied health profession and an area of scientific research studying the process of clinical therapy and the overall effects of music on health, it is an interpersonal process wherein a trained allied health professional uses music to enhance a client's physical, emotional, mental, social, aesthetic, and spiritual well-being.

Research suggests that music is an alternative pain killer by reducing a client's sensation to and distress brought about by chronic and post-operative pain. This is because music is known to trigger the release of endorphins - the body's natural pain killer. It has been shown to reduce pain caused by a range of chronic illnesses such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis by up to 25%. Music also revealed to have reduced their depression by 21%, further contributing to the management of pain since depression makes pain receptors more sensitive.

As music therapy is proven to be an established and effective health care practice, private nurses and other health care professionals can exploit an advanced technology to administer it - radio broadcasting software.

The radio broadcasting software allows users to access a database of more than 20,000 online radio stations worldwide. Thus, even a user from the United States can access stations broadcasting over the Internet from as far as Asia. Because computers are increasingly used in collaborating care for patients by various health care workers, perhaps they could be used in the administration of care through music therapy.

The web media player is an ideal application of modern technology in the hospital setting. First of all, because it is stream radio software, it can be installed into a computer. Because computers are preferably stationary equipments, a few hospital rooms can be dedicated for music therapy wherein one computer will be placed in each of these rooms. The radio broadcasting software should be installed in each of these computers so that they can be used for music therapy sessions. Clients in pain can therefore be transported to these rooms for their pain management.

Second, since the software lets users retrieve an almost immeasurable list of music internet stations and categorizes them according to the music genres offered, less-picky clients can choose stations according to their genre preference.

Third, the stream radio software also allows the recording of songs while being played. Health care workers could then download specific songs from its rich database for clients that are particular with their music preference or for general music therapy sessions with future clients.