A study published in the January/February 2017 issue of Cancer Nursing examined the effects of slow-stroke back massage (SSBM) on the symptom cluster of pain, fatigue, and sleep disorders in acute leukemia adult patients undergoing chemotherapy.
In the randomized controlled trial, 60 patients with acute leukemia were allocated randomly to either the intervention or control group. The intervention group received SSBM three times a week (every other day for 10 minutes) for four weeks. Their pain, fatigue, and sleep disorder intensities where measured using the numeric rating scale.
Results showed the SSBM intervention significantly reduced the progressive sleep disorder, pain, and fatigue, and improved sleep quality over time.
The study authors conclude that SSBM, as a simple, noninvasive, and cost-effective approach, along with routine nursing care, can be used to improve the symptoms of pain, fatigue, and sleep disorders in leukemia patients. Oncology nurses can increase their knowledge regarding this symptom cluster and work to diminish the cluster components by using SSBM in adult leukemia patients.
Read the abstract at www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26925992.