The Effect of Su Jok on Pain, Anxiety, and Quality of Recovery After Lumbar Disk Surgery: A randomized, controlled study.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of Su Jok on pain, anxiety, quality of recovery, and physiological parameters after lumbar disk surgery.

Design: Randomized Controlled study.

Methods: The study was conducted with 60 eligible patients who underwent lumbar disk surgery in the neurosurgery clinic of a training and research hospital in Istanbul between December 2022 and June 2023. Patients in the intervention group (n = 30) received Su Jok on postoperative days 0, 1, and 2. Patients in the control group received no intervention other than routine care (n = 30). Study data were collected with a descriptive characteristics form, the State Anxiety Inventory, 40-item Quality of Recovery Scale, Visual Analog Scale, short-form McGill Pain Scale, and a physiological parameters form.

Findings: The patients in the study had a mean age of 47.08 ± 9.58 years, 53.3% were male, 38.3% were primary school graduates, and 58.3% were employed. The frequency of chronic disease was 30% in the Su Jok group and 33.3% in the control group. Twenty-five patients (41.7%) had diagnosed lumbar disk herniation for at least 10 years. Postintervention pain and anxiety levels were significantly lower in the Su Jok group than in the control group (P < .05). Quality of recovery at postoperative days 1 and 2 and postdischarge day 10 was better in the Su Jok group compared with the control group (P < .05). Patients in the Su Jok group also showed more favorable physiological responses (P < .05).

Conclusions: This study showed that Su Jok reduced the pain and anxiety levels of patients after lumbar disk surgery and increased the quality of recovery. In addition to reducing pain and anxiety, the Su Jok intervention had a favorable effect on physiological parameters.