The Effect of Aromatic Oil-based Effleurage Massage on Radiotherapy-Induced Fatigue in Patients with Cancer

The effect of massage therapy on fatigue after chemotherapy in gastrointestinal cancer patients

INTRODUCTION

Gastrointestinal cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy usually suffer from fatigue, which may affect different aspects of their lives.

OBJECTIVE

The current study aimed to investigate the effect of massage therapy on fatigue after chemotherapy in gastrointestinal cancer patients.

METHOD

In this quasi-experimental study, 88 gastrointestinal cancer patients were randomly allocated into two groups of intervention and control. Patients received the chemotherapy for 3 h. The intervention group received four sessions of foot massage with an interval of 40 min during the chemotherapy. The massage duration was 7 min for each foot. Fatigue was measured using the visual analogue scale to evaluate fatigue severity just after and 24 h after the chemotherapy. Friedman and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to analyze the data.

RESULTS

The mean age of patients was 59/18 ± 9/35, and the most common type of cancer was gastric cancer (40%). There was a significant difference in the mean score of fatigue between the two groups immediately after (P > 0.001) and 24 h after chemotherapy (P < 0.001). In the intervention group, fatigue score decreased gradually (P = 0.031), while it increased in the control group (P = 0.001).

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated that foot massage, as a simple method, could reduce chemotherapy-induced fatigue.

The effects of an olive-oil massage on hemodialysis patients suffering from fatigue at a hemodialysis unit in southern India - a randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVES

To determine the effects that an olive oil massage has on fatigue among patients undergoing hemodialysis, and the associated sociodemographic factors that can reduce fatigue.

METHODS

The study used true experimental pre- and post-test research design. A total of 200 patients were recruited in a selected hemodialysis unit in southern India and were allocated to either a study or control group by randomization, with 100 patients in each group. All the patients in the intervention group were given a lower back and lower leg massage using olive oil at the beginning, and after every hour, of their hemodialysis using olive oil for a period of eight weeks. In contrast, the control group continues to receive routine care. The level of fatigue was measured using the Fatigue Severity Scale both before and after massage therapy.

RESULTS

Between 73 and 80% of patients were suffering from severe fatigue and the mean fatigue score was 5.53 (SD 1.82) and 5.56 (SD 1.57) for the study and control group, respectively. After eight weeks of massage therapy, the results showed that 53% of patients in the study group showed borderline fatigue, with a mean score of 4.39 (SD 2.37), whereas in the control group 73% patients showed severe fatigue, with a mean score of 5.17 (SD 2.00). The independent t-test between the study and the control group showed a statistically significant reduction in fatigue in the study group with a mean difference (MD) of 3.56 (t=-1.24; p=0.000). There were also statistically significant changes noted in gender and in the duration of the hemodialysis (χ ² = 6.043; p=0.049) and (χ ² = 6.611; p=0.046) respectively.

CONCLUSION

The study concluded that patients undergoing hemodialysis experienced moderate to severe levels of fatigue. In patients with no or mild anemia, massage has been shown to decrease fatigue and increase energy levels among patients undergoing hemodialysis for chronic kidney disease.

Comparison of the Effect of Massage and Music on Fatigue in Mothers With Premature Newborns Admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Randomized Clinical Trial

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of massage and music on fatigue in mothers with preterm newborns in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs).

METHODS

This study was a clinical trial with a crossover design which was conducted in Valiye Asr Hospital, Tehran, Iran. A convenience sample of 41 mothers with hospitalized premature neonates in the NICU were randomly assigned to massage-first or music-first groups. Both groups received music and massage, but in different orders. Fatigue was measured using the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory before and after interventions. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16 and repeated-measures analysis of variance.

RESULTS

The mean ± SD Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory scores after music, massage, and control measurements were, respectively, 66.90 ± 6.23, 55.78 ± 6.65, and 54.71 ± 6.81. Results of the analysis of variance indicated that there was a significant difference in mean fatigue score between the control group and after both music and massage (P < .001). However, there was no significant difference between the music and massage groups (P = .780).

CONCLUSION

In this sample of participants, massage and music reduced fatigue in mothers who had preterm newborns in the NICU.