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Effectiveness of the hand and foot massage to decrease pain among postoperative patients
| Post-operative pain is routinely poorly controlled by pharmaceutical means. Complementary strategies based on sound research findings are needed to aid in post-op pain relief. Foot and hand massage provides potential mechanisms to aid in pain relief. Massage stimulates receptors that activate non-nociceptive neurons. They release enkephalin and GABA, which inhibit neurotransmitters released from the primary nociceptive neurons and evoke depressive reactions within the receptive field in the pain pathway. Both reactions block receptor activation of the second transmission neurons, which prevents nociceptive activities from reaching consciousness. The purpose of the pretest-posttest design study was to investigate whether a 20-minute foot and hand massage (five minutes to each extremity) could produce reductions of pain perception and sympathetic responses among post-operative patients. A convenience sample of 16 patients completed the modified Brief Pain Inventories (mBPIs). The subjects reported a 56% decrease in pain intensity from 4.5 to 2.3 (t=7.18, p<0.001). Pain distress decreased from 3.7 to 1.9 (t=4.96, p<0.001). The heart rates also significantly decreased. The foot and hand massage appears to an effective, inexpensive, low risk, flexible, and easily applied strategy for pain management. |
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Primary Investigator
Hsiao-Lan Wang
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P.I. Institution Name
Indiana University
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Contact Address
School of Nursing, 1111 Middle Drive
Indianapolis, IN, 46202
USA
Contact E-mail
hswang@iupui.edu
Contact Telephone
317.278.6445
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Secondary Investigators
Keck, Juanita
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