Foot massage reduces pain after surgery

A foot massage is more than a relaxing exercise; according to researchers at the Stockport NHS Trust, Anaesthetic Department in England a foot massage can help alleviate pain in patients following surgical operations.

Fifty nine women who underwent a laparoscopic sterilization were given a foot massage and analgesic medication following their surgery and then compared to another group of women who underwent the same operation but were only given the analgesic drugs.

All of the patients then completed a detailed questionnaire the day after surgery which examined their overall satisfaction, memory and the degree of pain relief and comfort experienced.

Although the study revealed no significant differences in the pain experienced by the women in the two groups, the results did indicate that the pain showed a significantly different pattern between the two groups immediately after the surgery. Those patients who received the foot massage reported experiencing less pain than those patients who did not receive the massage.

The researchers stated that the results from this study justify further exploration into the potential applications of foot massage treatment in palliative care.

Source : J Adv Nurs 1999 Aug;30(2):460-8
The effect of foot massage on patients' perception of care followinglaparoscopic sterilization as day case patients.
Hulme J, Waterman H, Hillier VF

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