Effectiveness of hand and foot massage on reducing pain among post-operative abdominal surgery patients

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of hand and foot massage in reducing pain and promoting comfort in post-operative patients. Methodology: This quasi-experimental study used convenient sampling method. It included 60 postoperative patients at least one week at King Khalid Hospital. They are divided into two groups. In the experiment, hand and foot massage techniques were used for 15-minute durations according to the patient's comfort for the first three days of post-operative periods. The other group received no massage. The pain score was evaluated using a visual analog scale before and after the intervention’s first three days of post operative day. Results: Pre-and post-operative mean pain scores among the experimental group were significantly different at (p=0.05) after hand and foot massage. Conclusion: The hand and foot massage techniques were more effective in postoperative patients in stimulating blood circulation and nerve-ending and promoting stable vital signs. It is one of the simple nonpharmacological interventions without any cost which can be done by the nurses.