The Effects of Benson and Progressive Relaxation Techniques on Pain and Sleep in Lobectomy.

THE EFFECT OF BENSON AND PROGRESSİVE RELAXATİON TECHNİQUES ON PAİN AND SLEEP QUALİTY İN LOBECTOMY PATİENS

During lobectomy surgical treatment, thoracotomy is performed on patients, and post-thoracotomy pain is observed. Pain is one of the most common problems in patients and causes serious morbidity. As a result of the pain experienced, changes in sympathetic activity and the release of catecholamines as a result of the stress response lead to many complications, primarily in the cardiovascular, urinary, gastrointestinal, and nervous systems. In addition, pain can cause sleep problems in the patient due to the stress response, and the healing process is negatively affected. The aim of this research is to evaluate the effects of Benson relaxation technique and progressive muscle relaxation exercises on the pain levels and sleep quality of patients who have undergone lobectomy, in relation to the pain and sleep problems experienced in the postoperative period. The main aim of the study is to reveal the effectiveness of these two relaxation techniques in reducing pain and improving sleep quality in the postoperative care process, and to develop recommendations for clinical applications based on the findings obtained.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Sleep; Lobectomy; Lobectomy Patient
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Progressive muscle relaxation group

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 160
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Çağla toprak TOPRAK, PHD; Phone Number: 0090 532 799 78 14; Email: cagla.toprak@atlas.edu.tr

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients aged 18 and over, Patients undergoing planned lobectomy surgery for the first time, Patients without diagnosed sleep problems, Patients who volunteer to participate in the study, Patients whose cognitive level is suitable for progressive relaxation and Benson exercises, Patients without visual, hearing, or speech problems will be included in the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients with mental health issues, those who are not volunteers to participate in the study, and patients undergoing emergency surgery will not be included.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Benson Relaxation Group; Benson Relaxation Exercise Instructions Choose a word or short phrase that is meaningful to you and will allow you to focus your attention (Example: Love, affection, God, health). Sit in a comfortable position. Close your eyes. Relax all your muscles (calf, thigh, abdomen, chest, shoulder, neck, and head), starting from your feet and moving upwards to your muscle groups. Breathe slowly and naturally. As you exhale, silently say the chosen word or phrase to yourself. Maintain a passive attitude. Do not worry about whether you are doing well or not. If disturbing thoughts come to your mind, ignore them and say to yourself, "Everything is very good," "I am healthy and fit," and focus on your breath and muscles. Focus on relaxing and calming down until the instructions are finished. When the instructions are finished, do not stand up immediately. Sit quietly for a minute or two so you can return to your current environment. Then slowly open your eyes and sit for another minute or two.	Other: Progressive muscle relaxation group; Now, find the most comfortable position for yourself in the chair you're sitting in and close your eyes. Feel the rhythm of your breathing. Breathe in through your nose and exhale slowly and easily through your mouth. Notice how your body relaxes a little more with each exhale. Focus your attention on what I'm saying. When other thoughts come to mind, refocus your attention on what I'm saying. Now, let your arms hang down at your sides and, while breathing in, clench your fists and tense your hand muscles… Clench your fists and hold like that for a little while. Now open your fists and allow your hands to relax. Try to notice how relaxed your hand muscles are and how they are starting to warm up. Now take a deep breath and hold it in your chest. Notice how the muscles in your chest tense up, keep your muscles tense and release.
Experimental: Progressive muscle relaxation group; Now, find the most comfortable position for yourself in the chair you're sitting in and close your eyes. Feel the rhythm of your breathing. Breathe in through your nose and exhale slowly and easily through your mouth. Notice how your body relaxes a little more with each exhale. Focus your attention on what I'm saying. When other thoughts come to mind, refocus your attention on what I'm saying. Now, let your arms hang down at your sides and, while breathing in, clench your fists and tense your hand muscles… Clench your fists and hold like that for a while. Now open your fists and allow your hands to relax. Try to notice how relaxed your hand muscles are and how they are starting to warm up. Now take a deep breath and hold it in your chest. Notice how the muscles in your chest tense up, keep your muscles tense and release. Continue to breathe deeply and comfortably… Feel your chest muscles release their tension and relax." "Now, tense the muscles in your legs. Notice how these muscles	Other: Progressive muscle relaxation group; Now, find the most comfortable position for yourself in the chair you're sitting in and close your eyes. Feel the rhythm of your breathing. Breathe in through your nose and exhale slowly and easily through your mouth. Notice how your body relaxes a little more with each exhale. Focus your attention on what I'm saying. When other thoughts come to mind, refocus your attention on what I'm saying. Now, let your arms hang down at your sides and, while breathing in, clench your fists and tense your hand muscles… Clench your fists and hold like that for a little while. Now open your fists and allow your hands to relax. Try to notice how relaxed your hand muscles are and how they are starting to warm up. Now take a deep breath and hold it in your chest. Notice how the muscles in your chest tense up, keep your muscles tense and release.
No Intervention: Control Group; No attempt was made.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
THE VİSUAL ANALOG SCALA	The Visual Analog Scale (VAS) is a one-dimensional scale commonly used to measure pain intensity. The VAS is a measuring instrument that is 0-10 cm (0-100 mm) long. This measuring instrument can be used horizontally or vertically. The scale starts with "no pain" and ends with "unbearable pain". High scores on the scale indicate high pain intensity. The cutoff points for pain scores obtained from the scale are suggested as 0-4 mm "no pain", 5-44 mm "mild pain", 45-74 mm "moderate pain" and 75-100 mm "severe pain" (103). In our study, the VAS scale will be used horizontally and in cm to measure the pain intensity, anxiety and comfort levels of the patients.	Days 1 and 2 after surgery

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Richard-Campbell Sleep Scale	Developed by Richard in 1987, the RCSQ (Richard's Clinical Sleep Quality Scale) consists of six questions in total and is evaluated using a scale based on a score between 0 and 100. The first question measures sleep depth, difficulty falling asleep, frequency of nighttime awakenings, returning to sleep, overall sleep quality, and environmental noise levels. Scores obtained from the scale are evaluated as follows: scores between 0 and 25 indicate poor sleep quality, and scores between 76 and 100 indicate good sleep quality. It has been observed that as the scores obtained from the scale increase, sleep quality also improves.	Day 1, 2 after surgery

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Cagla Toprak

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): April 20, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): April 23, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 15, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 18, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 18, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): February 24, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 16, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 15, 2026
• Last Verified: February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: lobectomy, pain, sleep quality, benson exercises, progressive relaxation exercises.
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Neurologic Manifestations; Nervous System Diseases; Mental Disorders; Sleep Wake Disorders; Sleep Disorders, Intrinsic; Dyssomnias; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Signs and Symptoms; Pain; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders
• Other Study ID Numbers: 31.07.2025

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

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