TY - JOUR
T1 - Effect of progressive muscle relaxation on postoperative pain, fatigue, and vital signs in patients with head and neck cancers
T2 - A randomized controlled trial
AU - Loh, El Wui
AU - Shih, Huei Fen
AU - Lin, Chung Kwei
AU - Huang, Tsai Wei
N1 - Funding Information:
We are very grateful to the patients who allowed us to record and analyze these difficult conversations. This manuscript was edited by Wallace Academic Editing. HFS, RN collected and analyzed patient data. EWL, PhD prepared and wrote the initial draft of the manuscript. TWH, PhD analyzed patient data and was a major contributor in writing the manuscript by ensuring that all the descriptions are accurate. All authors have read and approved the final version of the manuscript.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2022/7
Y1 - 2022/7
N2 - Objective: Surgery for head and neck cancers are associated with significant preoperative stress. We investigated the effects of progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) on postoperative pain, fatigue, and vital signs in patients with head and neck cancers. Methods: All patients were hospitalized and randomly assigned to intervention or usual care groups. A generalized estimating equation was used to evaluate the PMR effects on pain and symptoms across the preoperative day to postoperative day 10. Results: The PMR group displayed significantly lower overall pain and muscle tightness than control group along with the timeline of multiple measurements (p < 0.01). PMR significantly reduces sleep disturbances and levels of fatigue, anxiety, and depression compared with the control group with time trend (p < 0.01). PMR also lowered the respiratory rates and diastolic blood pressure (p < 0.01). Conclusions: PMR can reduce sleep disturbances and levels of pain, fatigue, muscle tightness, anxiety, and depression in patients with head and neck cancer undergoing major surgeries. Future study should focus on improving the effectiveness of the exercise and standardization of the application. Practical implications: progressive muscle relaxation help relieve discomforts in patients with head and neck cancers with minimal costs and efforts.
AB - Objective: Surgery for head and neck cancers are associated with significant preoperative stress. We investigated the effects of progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) on postoperative pain, fatigue, and vital signs in patients with head and neck cancers. Methods: All patients were hospitalized and randomly assigned to intervention or usual care groups. A generalized estimating equation was used to evaluate the PMR effects on pain and symptoms across the preoperative day to postoperative day 10. Results: The PMR group displayed significantly lower overall pain and muscle tightness than control group along with the timeline of multiple measurements (p < 0.01). PMR significantly reduces sleep disturbances and levels of fatigue, anxiety, and depression compared with the control group with time trend (p < 0.01). PMR also lowered the respiratory rates and diastolic blood pressure (p < 0.01). Conclusions: PMR can reduce sleep disturbances and levels of pain, fatigue, muscle tightness, anxiety, and depression in patients with head and neck cancer undergoing major surgeries. Future study should focus on improving the effectiveness of the exercise and standardization of the application. Practical implications: progressive muscle relaxation help relieve discomforts in patients with head and neck cancers with minimal costs and efforts.
KW - Depression
KW - Fatigue
KW - Head and neck cancer
KW - Pain
KW - Progressive muscle relaxation
KW - Surgery
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U2 - 10.1016/j.pec.2021.10.034
DO - 10.1016/j.pec.2021.10.034
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85119023082
SN - 0738-3991
VL - 105
SP - 2151
EP - 2157
JO - Patient Education and Counseling
JF - Patient Education and Counseling
IS - 7
ER -