A Service Evaluation of Heisei Shiatsu Massage as an Adjunct to the Pharmacological Management of Cancer Pain.

Abstract

Background: Conventional pharmacological treatment does not always relieve cancer pain satisfactorily, increasing the need for further medication. Complementary and integrative therapies are offered to cancer inpatients to improve their well-being. Although manual therapies such as massage and reflexology are commonly offered to hospitalized cancer patients in the UK, Shiatsu in this setting is little known and has been studied much less.

Aims: The purpose of this project is to examine the pain-relieving effects of Heisei Shiatsu in hospitalized cancer patients and to compare those results with other bodywork modalities which have been established for longer in this field.

Methods: Fifty-five inpatients received 66 Heisei Shiatsu treatments. Interventions are adapted to health issues and specific pain complaints. Patients scored changes in pain intensity, the relief provided, and changes in mood as a result of the treatment using the validated Integrative Medicine Treatment Evaluation Form. The pre- and post-treatment scores for pain and mood were analyzed with both student's t-test and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results for relief are given in percentage points. All results were compared to results for other therapies stated in comparable research articles.

Results: Decrease in pain intensity and pain relief was reported after the Shiatsu session by all patients. The average reduction in pain was 40%. Thirty-two percent of the patients said their pain had been completely relieved, and 45% stated the pain had been mostly relieved. Compared to results in similar studies, Shiatsu is more effective than aromatherapy or reflexology in reducing pain among cancer patients. Almost all patients commented on the relaxing and soothing effects of these treatments.

Conclusion: Heisei Shiatsu can be delivered alongside conventional care for patients with cancer. Although the sample size is not big enough to draw definite conclusions, it warrants further research into the safety of Heisei Shiatsu in this setting and its relaxing effects as described by many of the patients.