The therapeutic effect of two different massages on the sleep quality of orthopedic surgery patients: A randomized controlled study

Objective

Poor sleep quality due to pain, anxiety, and other surgical complications is a common challenge in postoperative patients. The present study aims to investigate the effect of postoperative slow-stroke back and hot stone massage therapy on the sleep quality of orthopedic surgery patients.

Methods

This randomized and controlled clinical trial was conducted on 99 patients in the postoperative period of orthopedic surgery. The participants were randomly distributed into three groups (slow-stroke back massage, hot stone massage, and routine care). On the first or second day after the surgery, one group received a slow-stroke back massage, and another received a hot stone massage in the morning and afternoon for 10-15 minutes. Demographic surveys and the Richard-Campbell Sleep Questionnaire (RCSQ) were used for data collection. Chi-square, Kruskal-Wallis, and Wilcoxon tests were used for analysis, and the desired significance level was considered < 0.05.

Results

There was a significant improvement in sleep quality scores of patients in the slow-stroke back or hot stone massage groups compared with the routine care group (p < 0.001) and also before intervention (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

The results suggest that slow-stroke back and hot stone massages can improve sleep quality in patients with orthopedic surgery in the postoperative period.