The effect of back massage after cesarean on pain, anxiety, sleep, breastfeeding, comfort, uterine involution and physiological parameters

Aim: This study was conducted to determine the effects of back massage applied after cesarean section on pain, anxiety, sleep, breastfeeding, comfort, uterine involution and physiological parameters. Material and Method: The sample of the single-blind randomized controlled study consisted of 78 women, 39 in the intervention group and 39 in the control group. Data were collected between June and December 2023 using the Personal Information Form, Visual Analog Scale (VAS), State Anxiety Scale (DAS), Trait Anxiety Scale (TAS), Richard Campbell Sleep Scale (RCS), Bristol Breastfeeding Assessment Tool (BEDA), Postpartum Comfort Scale (PPS), Uterus Involution Assessment Form (UIDF), Physiological Parameters Form (FPF). The intervention group received 20 minutes of back massage 12 hours after cesarean delivery, and the control group received routine nursing care. In the analysis of data, number, mean, percentage calculations, standard deviation, Kurtosis and Skewness coefficients, Willcoxon analysis, t test, Chi-square Test, Bonferroni, and Cohen's d value were used. Results: After the back massage application, the difference in VAS pain, DAS, and DSAS mean scores of the women in the intervention group compared to the women in the control group was found to be statistically significant (p<0.05). After the application, it was found that the mean sleep and breastfeeding scores of the women in the intervention group increased in the post-test compared to the pre-test, and the mean trait anxiety and uterine involution scores decreased, however, the difference between the pre-test-post-test SAS, RCUS, BEDA, and UIDF mean scores between the groups was not statistically significant (p>0.05). The intra-group differences in the pre-test and post-test SAS, BEDA, and UIDF mean scores in the intervention group were found to be statistically significant (p<0.05). The inter-group differences in the post-test physiological parameters mean scores of the intervention and control groups were not found to be statistically significant. The intra-group differences in the pre-test, inter-measurement, and post-test systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, fever/body temperature, and saturation value mean scores in the intervention group were found to be statistically significant (p<0.05). Conclusions: It was found that back massage applied after cesarean section reduced pain, state and trait anxiety levels in women, increased comfort levels, improved sleep and breastfeeding levels, accelerated uterine involution, and brought physiological parameter values to normal limits, but the significant difference was in pain, state anxiety and comfort levels. It is recommended that further studies be conducted with different populations and a larger number of participants regarding the effects of trait anxiety, sleep, breastfeeding, uterine involution and physiological parameters. Keywords: Pain, anxiety, sleep, breastfeeding, comfort, uterine involution, physiological parameters, cesarean, massage