As an accessible, low-cost, and culturally malleable non-pharmacological intervention, music has attracted growing attention in orthopaedic rehabilitation (Lin et al., 2019). However, within the context of lower extremity rehabilitation, the subjective experiences and processes of meaning-making remain lacking. This study explores adults’ personal experiences and feelings about using music during lower extremity orthopedic rehabilitation. It addresses two research questions: (1) What reasons do adults give for choosing music during rehabilitation? (2) How do they express the feelings and experiences that music affords in the rehabilitation process? This study conducts a narrative inquiry approach by using Connelly and Clandinin’s (1990, 2000) three-dimensional narrative space (temporality, sociality, and place) to collect and analyse the data. Three participants (aged between 30 and 80) who were undergoing lower extremity rehabilitation were selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected through participant observation and in-depth narrative interviews, supplemented by rehabilitation therapists’ interviews and participant-provided music playlists. Preliminary analysis indicates four themes: (1) familiar music as an emotional bridge in unfamiliar rehabilitation settings; (2) music as an emotion regulation, including reducing anxiety, increasing a sense of safety, and self-soothing; (3) music as a distraction from physical pain; and (4) music as a bridge for trust and communication with the therapist. The findings suggest that the use of music in rehabilitation extends beyond physiological effects to encompass emotion, distraction, and social connection. This highlights the need for music therapy to move beyond efficacy testing towards the description of experience, focus on patients’ subjectivities and contextual needs. As a low-cost and highly acceptable non-pharmacological intervention, music not only supports adult patients’ agency over their well-being but also serves as an emotional bridge throughout rehabilitation. To build on this potential, future rehabilitation programmes could engage in interdisciplinary collaboration with music, cultivating music professionals capable of working across healthcare and community settings, thereby expanding the social value and practical benefits.