Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2020 Sep;52(5):476-487.
doi: 10.1111/jnu.12580. Epub 2020 Jun 13.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation and Mindfulness Meditation on Neuropathic Pain, Fatigue, and Quality of Life in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Nur Izgu  1 , Zehra Gok Metin  2 , Canan Karadas  3 , Leyla Ozdemir  4 , Nuran Metinarikan  5 , Demet Corapcıoglu  6
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Progressive Muscle Relaxation and Mindfulness Meditation on Neuropathic Pain, Fatigue, and Quality of Life in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Nur Izgu et al. J Nurs Scholarsh. 2020 Sep.

Abstract

Purpose: To examine the effects of progressive muscle relaxation and mindfulness meditation on the severity of diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain (DPNP), fatigue, and quality of life in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Design: An assessor-blinded prospective randomized controlled trial.

Methods: Participants were randomly assigned to the relaxation group (RG; n = 28), meditation group (MG; n = 25), or control group (CG; n = 24). The mean age of participants was 64.2 ± 8.1 years in the RG, 61.6 ± 8.0 years in the MG, and 64.1± 6.6 years in the CG. Patients in the intervention groups performed progressive muscle relaxation or mindfulness meditation at their home for 12 weeks, 20 min daily. The CG received only an attention-matched controlled education on pancreas anatomy and diabetes. Data collection was performed at baseline and at weeks 12 and 14 using the VAS, FACIT Fatigue Scale (FACIT-F), and Neuropathic Pain Impact on Quality of Life Questionnaire (NePIQoL).

Findings: VAS scores were significantly lower in the RG and MG at week 12 (p < .05) and were statistically significant in the RG at week 14. Additionally, fatigue severity decreased significantly in the RG at weeks 12 and 14, compared to that in the CG (p < .05). While no significant difference was found in the quality of life scores between the study groups at weeks 12 and 14 (p > .05), a significant improvement in quality of life scores in the RG were provided at week 12 compared to those at baseline and week 14 (p < .05).

Conclusions: Both progressive muscle relaxation and mindfulness meditation had a positive impact on providing pain relief in patients with DPNP. Moreover, progressive muscle relaxation also appeared to have a beneficial effect on fatigue.

Clinical relevance: Based on the results, progressive muscle relaxation and mindfulness meditation can be recommended as supportive therapies for the management of DPNP.

Keywords: Fatigue; meditation; painful diabetic neuropathy; progressive muscle relaxation; quality of life.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Acar, B., Turkel, Y., Kocak, O. M., & Kemal Erdemoglu, A. (2016). Validity and reliability of Turkish translation of Neuropathic Pain Impact on Quality-of-Life (NePIQoL) Questionnaire. Pain Practice, 16(7), 850-855.
    1. Ang, L., Cowdin, N., Mizokami-Stout, K., & Pop-Busui, R. (2018). Update on the management of diabetic neuropathy. Diabetes Spectrum, 31(3), 224-233.
    1. Antoni, A. (2017). The effect of progressive muscle relaxation on blood glucose levels and fatigue symptom of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Jurnal Kesehatan Ilmiah Indonesia, 2(3), 21-26.
    1. Arezzo, J. C., Rosenstock, J., LaMoreaux, L., & Pauer, L. (2008). Efficacy and safety of pregabalin 600 mg/d for treating painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy: A double-blind placebo-controlled trial. BMC Neurology, 8(1), 33.
    1. Argoff, C. E., Cole, B. E., Fishbain, D. A., & Irving, G. A. (2006). Diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain: Clinical and quality-of-life issues. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 81(4 Suppl), S3-11.

Publication types