Effect of Back Massage Intervention on Anxiety, Comfort, and Physiologic Responses in Patients with Congestive Heart Failure

Background: Patients suffering from congestive heart failure (CHF) frequently feel physical suffering and anxiety. Objectives: The researchers investigated whether back massage could reduce anxiety, discomfort, and physical suffering in patients with CHF. The effects of gender and severity-dependent response of back massage on anxiety and discomfort in patients were also analyzed. Design: The study used a quasi-experimental design with one group pretest and posttest. Participants: Sixty-four participants were recruited in southern Taiwan. Outcome measures: The modified State Anxiety Inventory, the discomfort Visual Analogue Scale, electronic blood pressure (BP) gauges, stethoscopes and the pulse oximetry were used in this study. Results: The participants' systolic BP (F (3, 189) = 18.91, p < 0.01), diastolic BP (F (3, 189) = 13.40, p < 0.01), heart rate (F (3, 189) = 26.28, p < 0.01), and respiratory rates (F (3, 189) = 5.77, p < 0.01) were significantly decreased after back massage. Oxygen saturation levels showed significant increases (F (3, 189) = 42.82, p < 0.01). Male participants revealed a more significant reduction in anxiety than the female participants (F (1, 50) = 7.27, p = 0.01). Those with more severe heart failure and greater levels of anxiety (F (2, 61) = 4.31, p = 0.02) and systolic BP (F (2, 61) = 3.86, p = 0.03) demonstrated significantly greater responses to back massage. Conclusions: Back massage significantly reduced anxiety in the study population. Systolic BP decreased to a greater degree in the male participants, particularly in those with severe heart failure and greater levels of anxiety and higher systolic BP. This study was conducted without a control group. Randomized clinical trials are needed to validate the effectiveness of back massage on patients with CHF.