The effects of progressive relaxation method on the patients applied total knee replacement

The aim of this quasi-experimental study is to depict the effects of progressive relaxation method on the patients who were applied total knee prothesis. The findings of the study were obtained from the patients who applied to Adnan Menderes University Research and Practice Hospital, Clinic of Orthopedics and Traumatology with the diagnosis of gonarthros between the dates of October, 2014 and February, 2015. Sample of the study was consisted of 80 patients; 40 in experimental group and 40 in control group. G-Power analysis system was used. In order to carry out the study, the written approval was received from the Ethics Comitee of Non-invasive Researches of Adnan Menderes University, Faculty of Medicine, and written association permission was received from Adnan Menderes University Research and Practice Hospital where the study was carried out at. The patients forming the sample were informed about the aim of the study, that there was no risk and no harm, then their verbal and written approval to be volunteer in the study were received. The study findings were collected via patient information forms which showed the patients' introductive information, and via Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) in which independent variables of stable – ongoing anxiety inventory were investigated. In the period before the operation, as different from the patients in the control group; patients in the experimental group were taught the techniques of progressive relaxation. The statistic program, SPSS for Windows 18.0 was used for analyzing the study data. In the process of data evaluation, in addition to descriptive statistics methods (percentage calculation, mean, standard deviation) Mann Whitney U Test, Chi Square Test, Wilcoxon Test and Spearman Coorelation Analysis were used. P<0.05 was accepted as significant. According to the results, experimental group patients' age mean was analyzed as X=62.27±7.98, and control group patients' age mean as X=62.35±9.80. 70% (N: 28) of the experimental group patients were female, 30% (N:12) were male, and 75% (N:30) of the control group patients were female, 25% (N:10) were male; 47,5% (N:19) of the experimental group patients and 55% (N:22) of the control group patients were primary school graduates. 50% (N: 20) of the patients in the experimental group were found to have any chronicle ilness; 62.5% (N:25) of them had operation experience in the past; 60% (N:24) used adjuvant tools; 62.5% (N:25) used their own techniques to overcome the pain when emerged; and body-mass index mean was X=27.62±3.75. 67.5% (N: 27) of the patients in the control group were found to have any chronicle ilness; 60% (N:24) of them had operation experience in the past; 76.2% (N:16) used adjuvant tools; 72.5% (N:29) used their own techniques to overcome the pain when emerged; and body-mass index mean was X=29.57±5.10. In the study, in terms of state anxiety inventory; in the period before the operation, while there was no difference between two groups (p<0.05), it was found to be significantly low in the following first and second day after the operation. In terms of trait anxiety inventory; in the period before the operation, while there was no difference between two groups (p<0.05), it was found to be significantly high in the following first and second day after the operation. Before the operation and in the following first and second days after the operation, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) mean of the patients both in the control and experimenal group was found to be significantly low. As a result, it is considered that progressive relaxation method which was applied to patients, has a positive effect on decreasing the post-operative pain and anxiety. Key Words: Total Knee Replacement, Progressive Relaxation, Pain, Anxiety