The effects of relaxation training on pain perception in patients with chronic non-malign pain

The aim of this study is to examine the effects of progressive muscle training on patients with chronic non-malign pain, anxiety and various levels of depression. The participants included in the research were selected from those being treated at the Çukurova University Medicine Faculty, Algology Science Department for chronic non-malign pain. Experiment and control groups were organised randomly and the subjects who complained about headaches were not included in this study. Subjects diagnosed with depression and on medications due to their psychiatric diagnoses were referred to Çukurova University Medicine Faculty Psychiatry Department and after an assessment; patients without any psychiatric diagnosis and who volunteered for this study were included. Subjects were supposed to have had minimum primary school education. In the control group, patients who received treatment of first stage pain protocol were included after consultation with algology doctors. Patients who take medicine affecting anxiety and sleep were excluded from this study. The study group consisted of 50 female subjects and 17 male subjects, a total of 67 subjects. This study was conducted in an experimental design with pre-test, post-test and a control group. Three groups were organised randomly. Data from the study was collected using a Visual Analogy Scale (VAS) with the aim of examining pain visually during the pre-test. The Beck Depression Inventory (Beck, Rush & Shaw, 1979) – developed for examining emotional, psychosomatic, and motivational signs during depression – and the State and Anxiety Inventory developed by Spielberger and Gorsuch – adapted by Öner and Le Compte (1985) – were used. Dependent T tests were conducted to compare pre-test and post-test results and the one-way analysis of variance was performed to compare the groups' total score. According to the research results, treatment with medication, relaxation treatment, and both treatments applied together have statistically significant effects on patients' perception of pain. Treatments that combined medication and relaxation were the most effective on the patients' perception of pain. In addition to this, stress levels were reduced with relaxation training and also resulted in muscle pain reduction.