Complementary therapies for fatigue after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: an integrative review

Abstract

Fatigue after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a persistent problem that limits activities and causes distress. Complementary therapies have shown promising results in improving fatigue in several patient populations. However, it is unknown whether they have the same effect on fatigue in the HSCT population. This integrative review aimed to explore the literature that evaluated complementary therapies for fatigue among HSCT patients. Only eight studies were considered eligible for inclusion in this review. The eight studies evaluated music therapy, relaxation, mindfulness, and massage techniques with mixed results. These studies had major methodological limitations, such as the small sample sizes and not blinding participants to the treatment allocation, introducing possible bias. Furthermore, most of these studies used 'usual care' control groups, leaving it unclear to what extent the observed effects are based on the effects of complementary therapies, or rather on psychosocial factors such as personal attention. More research is needed to more rigorously evaluate these and other complementary therapies for the prevalent problem of fatigue in the HSCT population.