A qualitative study-Patient experience of tactile massage after stroke.
Berit Seiger Cronfalk, Elisabet Åkesson, Jill Nygren and 4 others
PMID 32802364WHAT IT FOUND
Stroke patients said gentle hand or foot massage, added to regular rehabilitation, helped them relax and ease worries during the session.
They described human touch as comforting. This is patients' experience, not proof the massage works.
Key findings
01The eight participants reported emotional worries, especially during the night, that affected their sleep negatively.
02Patients who received regular rehabilitation plus hand or foot massage said the massage helped them relax and ease worries and anxiety during the session, sometimes for longer.
03Some control participants who did not receive massage were disappointed not to be selected and thought massage could contribute positively.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
Only eight patients were interviewed, selected by convenience from one Swedish inpatient rehabilitation unit. Participants were adults 65 or older with first-ever stroke who could communicate in Swedish, and those with a cognitive test score of 16 or lower or severe aphasia were excluded. The study asked patients about their experiences; it did not measure whether massage changes anxiety or sleep. One patient withdrew after randomization, interviews varied from 6 to 25 minutes, and demographic details were limited to protect identity.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that tactile massage after stroke was shown to reduce anxiety or improve sleep. The study asked patients how they experienced massage added to regular rehabilitation, and they reported feeling relaxed and less worried during or after sessions.