Investigating the Impact of Nature Music and Acupressure on the Pain Intensity of Conscious Patients Hospitalized in ICU

Background: Despite advances in pain management, the incidence of postoperative pain remains a concern. In addition, analgesics have many side effects. Therefore, non-pharmacological interventions aimed at reducing the dosage of analgesics seem necessary, whether as a complementary or independent medication. In this regard, the present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the impact of music and acupressure on the pain intensity in the conscious patients hospitalized in intensive care units (ICU). Methods: The present quasi-experimental study was conducted on conscious patients undergoing laparotomy surgery who were hospitalized in the surgical ICU of hospitals affiliated with Shahid Beheshti University in 2023. We randomly assigned 90 patients to one of three groups: nature music, acupressure, or combined. The data collection tools consisted of patients' demographic information form and the visual pain assessment scale, which was measured once before the intervention and over five time points after it. For participants in the nature music group, sounds of rivers, birds, and waterfalls were played using an MP3 player device and headphones for 20 minutes on one occasion. For the participants in the acupressure group, pressure was applied to L14 or Hogo for 10 seconds of pressure, followed by 2 seconds of rest, for a duration of 20 minutes, so that the patient could feel heat, numbness, and heaviness. We simultaneously performed nature music and acupressure for the participants in the combined group. SPSS version 19 was used for data analysis. Results: Three groups of participants were homogeneous, with no statistically significant differences in terms of demographic characteristics (P value < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the pain intensity of the patients among the three groups before the intervention. However, there was a significant difference among the three groups at 30 minutes, 60 minutes, 2 hours, 3 hours, and 4 hours after the intervention, and the combined and concurrent use of music therapy and acupressure proved to be more effective in reducing the pain intensity. Conclusion: The results indicated the effectiveness of both nature music and acupressure when used alone or in combination. Their combined and concurrent implementation is more effective. Therefore, we recommend that nurses adopt combined care programs for pain management in ICU patients.