Soothing sounds for sensitive stomachs: music therapy tested for IBS pain

NCT ID NCT06706778

Not yet recruiting Symptom relief Sponsor: Yale University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jul 02, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This pilot study from Yale University will test whether listening to calming, instrumental music can reduce pain and stress in people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Thirty adults with moderate IBS pain will listen to pre-recorded playlists for 20 minutes twice a day, five days a week, for four weeks. Researchers will measure pain, stress, and gut bacteria changes using wearable sensors and questionnaires to understand how music might help.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: Music intervention (listening to pre-recorded instrumental playlists)
What this could lead to: If it works, this could point toward a simple, drug-free way to ease IBS pain and stress at home.
What could go wrong: This is a very small pilot study with only 30 people and no comparison group. It is designed to test feasibility and mechanisms, not to prove effectiveness. Results may not apply to everyone with IBS.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Abdominal Pain irritable bowel syndrome

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

ABDOMINAL PAIN/ DISCOMFORT IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME

Contacts and locations

Locations

Yale School of Nursing

New Haven, Connecticut, 06477, United States

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