[Music and chronic muscular-skeletal pain: the evocative potential of mental images][Article in Portuguese]

Ninety women with diagnosed fibromyalgia, work-related repetitive strain injury/osteoarticular diseases (RSI) and diseases related to the spinal column were submitted to individual listening of three musical pieces. Data were obtained by means of interviews and pain intensity was evaluated by the verbal numeric scale (0-10) before and after listening to the music. The mental images were quantified by analyzing the drawings made during each listening session. The three groups presented a statistically significant reduction in pain intensity at the end of the listening session (p<0.001). The mental images did not differ in quantity, between Ravel and Wagner. The Mix presented quantitatively lower results. The musical structures related to the production of images and the observed therapeutic effect suggests that structural analyses may contribute to the use of music by nursing.