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. 2021 Sep 2;14(3):27-38.
doi: 10.3822/ijtmb.v14i3.619. eCollection 2021 Sep.

The effectiveness of Chair Massage on Stress and Pain in Oncology

Talita Pavarini Borges de Souza  1 , Leonice Fumiko Sato Kurebayashi  2 , Juliana Nery de Souza-Talarico  3 , Ruth Natalia Teresa Turrini  4
Affiliations

The effectiveness of Chair Massage on Stress and Pain in Oncology

Talita Pavarini Borges de Souza et al. Int J Ther Massage Bodywork. .

Abstract

Background: There is a high prevalence of moderate-to-high levels of chronic stress among nurses, as well as an occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders.

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of chair massage to reduce chronic stress and musculoskeletal pain in the Oncology Nursing team.

Setting: Two teaching cancer hospitals, one public and the other private, in São Paulo city, Brazil.

Participants: A total of 60 women from the Oncology Nursing team.

Research design: A randomized controlled trial divided into two groups: chair massage and control without intervention.

Intervention: The massage group received two chair massage sessions lasting 15 minutes, twice a week, for three weeks.

Main outcome measure: Reduction of stress and pain measured by the List of Signs and Symptoms (LSS) and the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), respectively.

Results: The average age was 32 (± 5.3) years. There was a reduction of stress measured by the LSS with a statistical difference in the group-time interaction (p < .001), with a Cohen's d value of 1.21 between groups. The BPI analysis showed a statistically significant difference in the group-time interaction for general activity (p < .008), mood (p < .03), work (p < .000), and sleep (p = .03), with reduced pain interference in these components.

Conclusion: Chair massage reduced stress and pain interference in the team's daily life activities, bringing a positive impact in the context of work stress and pain in Oncology nursing professionals.

Keywords: massage; musculoskeletal pain; nursing; occupational stress; team.

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Conflict of interest statement

CONFLICT OF INTEREST NOTIFICATION The authors declare no conflicts of interest, personally or related to funding. The study was funded by the Research Support Foundation of the state of São Paulo (process No. 2017/19,645-2).

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Step-by-step of the chair massage protocol.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Flowchart of the study design as recommended by CONSORT.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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