The Effects of Music Listening on Pain, Heart Rate Variability and Joint Range of Motion for Patints Receving Total Knee Replacement

Background. With the aging of the population, suffer from degenerative arthritis of the knee more and more. The serious case often need total joint replacement surgery, but after surgery, patients often face reluctantly teeth do joint rehabilitation to restore range of motion. Aims. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of music listening to reduce patients’ pain during performing CPM and enhance range of motion of the operated joint. Methods. An experimental control group pretest–posttest experimental design will be employed. In the design of the experiment, 60 patients who schedule for total knee replacement (TKR) at a medical center in Taiwan are admitted and divide into a study group and a control group with 30 people in each. The inclusion criteria: The unilateral total knee arthroplasty because of degenerative arthritis, no hearing, no vision and cognitive impairment. The study group receives music listening 40 min. during performing CPM, twice per day, from postoperative day 1 to day 5, while the control group will be cared for using standard procedures, that is performing CPM 30 min. without music listening, twice per day. The research measurements are to assess pain level and heart rate variability at three points (10 min. before CPM, just before CPM, and CPM finished) and record CPM degrees every time, as well as measure active range of motion of the operated joint at postoperative day 5. Statistics methods include descriptive analysis, paired-t test, t-test, etc. Expected results: The results can help understanding of music listening on pain relief and enhance range of motion of the operated leg for the patients during performing knee CPM rehabilitation.