The Effects of Reiki and Back Massage on the Pain and Vital Signs

The Effects of Reiki and Back Massage on the Pain and Vital Signs of Women After Abdominal Hysterectomy: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The practice of Reiki and back massage applications in support of pharmacological treatment is among the nursing initiatives and these practices increase the autonomy of the profession. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of Reiki and back massage on pain, analgesic use and vital signs in women who had undergone open abdominal hysterectomy. This was an experimental study with a single, blinded, pretest-posttest control group. The population of the study consisted of women who had abdominal hysterectomy in the Obstetrics Clinics at Gazi Yasargil Training and Research Hospital and Dicle University Hospital between July 2017 and February 2018. The patients were divided into three groups: Reiki, back massage and control, with 34 patients in each group. Reiki or back massage were applied for 20 minutes once a day to the patients in the Reiki and back massage groups.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Pain; Abdominal Pain
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Reiki and back massage

Detailed Description

The study was carried out to determine the effect of Reiki and back massage application on pain, analgesic use and vital signs in women underwent open abdominal hysterectomy. This study used an experimental pretest and posttest design with two experimental groups (Reiki and back massage), and a control group. The population of the study consisted of women who underwent abdominal hysterectomy in the Obstetrics Clinics of the Gazi Training and Research Hospital and Dicle University Hospital between July 2017 and February 2018. Open abdominal hysterectomy is usually performed in clinics on a planned basis.The data were collected by the researcher in the clinic by the face-to-face interview method using the Patient Information Form, the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), and the Vital Signs and Postoperative Analgesic Follow-up Form.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 102

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Turkey
  • Mardin, Turkey, 47200
    • Hediye Utli

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 21 years to 61 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: Female

• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

Open abdominal hysterectomy is usually performed in clinics on a planned basis. Patients undergoing open abdominal hysterectomy are hospitalized over 1-2 days before the surgery and they are discharged on the postoperative 3 rd day if there is no postoperative complication. Routine analgesics and antibiotics are given to all patients in the postoperative period.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients who underwent surgery in elective conditions,
• were hospitalized for at least two days after surgery,
• did not develop any serious complications after surgery,
• were operated on under general anesthesia,
• had no previous Reiki or back massage,
• had a pain level of 3 or above according to the Numeric Pain Rating Scale,
• had no cognitive, affective or communication problems,
• used only one type of analgesic (a non-narcotic analgesic)
• did not use patient-controlled analgesics.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients with chronic disease (such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease),
• severe complications after surgery (such as bleeding, infection),
• those who were taking narcotic analgesics.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Observational Models: Case-Control
• Time Perspectives: Prospective

Number of groups / cohorts

3

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
Reiki; The modern-day Reiki (pronounced "ray-kee") practiced in the United States originated in Japan with Mikao Usui in the early 1900s. Reiki is a complementary and adjuvant therapeutic technique. Reiki, which is classified as an "energy healing therapy", is a technique of channeling universal energy in order to reduce stress, promote relaxation, and enhance well-being.	Other: Reiki and back massage; In the current study, at the beginning of the treatment, the researcher held his hands 2-3 cm above the patient sand adjusted the aura of the patient by making circular movements from the head to the feet. After this process of aura attunement, the researcher placed his hands directly on the patient's body. In the areas where the practitioner had placed his hands for an average of three minutes, starting from between the eyes, the researcher felt various degrees of warmth and tingling in his palms. Only the back was left exposed to prevent the patient becoming cold. The researcher took a little non-aromatic baby oil in hand and heated it, then began a 20-minute-long massage. The massage consisted of 6.5 minutes of effleurage (stroking), 3.5 minutes of petrissage (kneading), 13 minutes of effleurage and seven minutes of petrissage.
Back massage; Massage therapy involves the manipulation of the soft tissues of the body by touch. It consists of gentle movements such as effleurage, petrissage and percussion.	Other: Reiki and back massage; In the current study, at the beginning of the treatment, the researcher held his hands 2-3 cm above the patient sand adjusted the aura of the patient by making circular movements from the head to the feet. After this process of aura attunement, the researcher placed his hands directly on the patient's body. In the areas where the practitioner had placed his hands for an average of three minutes, starting from between the eyes, the researcher felt various degrees of warmth and tingling in his palms. Only the back was left exposed to prevent the patient becoming cold. The researcher took a little non-aromatic baby oil in hand and heated it, then began a 20-minute-long massage. The massage consisted of 6.5 minutes of effleurage (stroking), 3.5 minutes of petrissage (kneading), 13 minutes of effleurage and seven minutes of petrissage.
Control; Routine postoperative care was given to the control group without any intervention

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS)	This scale gives pain a numeric score, from the absence of pain (0 integers) to unbearable pain (10 integers).	1st postoperative days
Vital Signs and Postoperative Analgesic Follow-up Form (VSPAFF)	This consists of questions about the application of reiki and back massage, information about the patients' vital signs, including pulse rate (min), respiratory rate (min), blood pressure (mmHg) at the time of measurement, as well as information about the number and doses (milligrams) of analgesics taken postoperatively.	1st postoperative days
Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS)	This scale gives pain a numeric score, from the absence of pain (0 integers) to unbearable pain (10 integers).	2 nd postoperative days
Vital Signs and Postoperative Analgesic Follow-up Form (VSPAFF)	This consists of questions about the application of reiki and back massage, information about the patients' vital signs, including pulse rate (min), respiratory rate (min), blood pressure (mmHg) at the time of measurement, as well as information about the number and doses (milligrams) of analgesics taken postoperatively.	2 nd postoperative days

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Mardin Artuklu University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): July 9, 2017
• Primary Completion (Actual): February 9, 2018
• Study Completion (Actual): February 9, 2018

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 5, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 24, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): April 27, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 27, 2021
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 24, 2021
• Last Verified: April 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Pain; Reiki; Hysterectomy; Back massage
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms, Digestive; Abdominal Pain
• Other Study ID Numbers: ArtukluU

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: Undecided
• IPD Plan Description: After the article is accepted for publication, it will be shared with other researchers.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No