Functionally Oriented Music Therapy (FMT) In The Treatment Of Long Term Pain

Project idea: This project aims to explore and evaluate a hitherto unexplored treatment method for people living with long-term musculoskeletal pain. The project's starting point is that it is urgent to develop evidence-based methods that can promote health and well-being, alleviate suffering and lead to an improved quality of life in the target group. The method "Functionally oriented music therapy" (FMT), to be studied in the present project, can be such a method. In FMT, music and movement are combined for health-promoting purposes, which can be assumed to lead to experiences of well- being and recovery. The method is already used in primary care in Region Sörmland, but the method is not evidence-based in the treatment of long-term musculoskeletal pain, which is why scientific evaluation is needed. The project is urgent both from a societal and patient perspective, among other things because healthcare resources need to be used more efficiently than today. To evaluate the method, both qualitative and quantitative research methodology will be used. If the results of the project are positive, i.e., if we can find evidence that various aspects of health are specifically affected/improved, then the results can contribute to evidence based FMT support for health promotion purposes for people with long-term musculoskeletal pain. If, on the other hand, the results show that FMT has no or only little effect, that in itself is an important contribution to new knowledge about treatment and recovery in people with long-term musculoskeletal pain. Today, FMT is used in, among other things, habilitation, rehabilitation and psychiatric care. However, research is needed that deals with the method's health-promoting efforts even in the case of long-term musculoskeletal pain problems.

Study Overview

• Status: Enrolling by invitation
• Conditions: Long Term Musculoskeletal Pain
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Functionally oriented music therapy (FMT)

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 70
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Sweden
  • Eskilstuna
    • Eskilstuna, Eskilstuna, Sweden, 633 42
      • FMT centrum

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• People with long-term musculoskeletal pain that occurred for at least three months.
• People over 18 years of age.
• People able to understand and speak Swedish or English

Exclusion Criteria:

• Severe hearing loss
• Visual impairment
• Cognitive impairment.

Pain conditions caused by:

• malignancy
• severe spinal pathology or
• neurological disease that severely limit the ability to perform activities.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Intervention / Treatment

Other: FMT arm

Other: Functionally oriented music therapy (FMT); There are different methods of music therapy and one of these is FMT. It is a body-based and music therapeutic treatment method that is used for health-promoting purposes. With the help of i.e. drums, cymbals, various custom-made drumsticks, flutes, chairs, balance balls and balance cushions. FMT strives to support, strengthen and develop the person's physical, mental and social abilities. FMT-sessions (20 minuets/1 time a week) are performed individuelly (a patient with a educated music therapist).

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Improved quality of life	Support, strengthen and develop the person's physical, mental and social abilities. Questionnaires concerning; body awareness, pain level, management of pain and fear of movement, pain-related activity limitations, emotions, depressive symptoms and anxiety, self-reported sick-leave and general perceived health will be used. The questionnaires are validated and psychometrically evaluated. Self-estimation (using different Lickert-scales). The results of phase 1 can contribute to the addition of more outcome measures in phase 2.	Assessed every 2 weeks for 10 weeks.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Mälardalen University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): October 1, 2024
• Primary Completion (Estimated): April 30, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 9, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 16, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): September 19, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): November 19, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 18, 2025
• Last Verified: November 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Musculoskeletal Diseases; Muscular Diseases; Musculoskeletal Pain
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2024-04082-01

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No