A music-with-movement exercise programme for community-dwelling older adults suffering from chronic pain: A pilot randomized controlled trial

Aim: This study developed, implemented and tested the effectiveness of a music-with-movement exercise programme in improving the pain situations of older adults with chronic pain. Design: A pilot randomized controlled trial. Methods: This was a pilot randomized controlled trial. The intervention was an 8-week music-with-movement exercise (MMEP) programme for older adults with chronic pain recruited in elders’ community centres. The control group received the usual care and a pain management pamphlet. Outcome variables were pain intensity, pain self-efficacy and pain interference, depression and loneliness. Results: Seventy-one participants joined this study. Pain intensity was significantly reduced between the experimental group compared to the control group. The experimental group participants reported significant improvements in pain self-efficiency, pain interference and reduced loneliness and depressive symptoms. However, no significant difference was observed between groups.