Effect of Hand Massage on Pain,Anxiety, and Vital Signs in Patients Before Venipuncture Procedure: A Randomized Controlled Trial

BackgroundMassage is one of the relaxation techniques commonly used in recent years to control pain, stress, and anxiety.AimsThis study was conducted to evaluate the effect of hand massage application on pain, anxiety, and vital signs before venipuncture procedure.MethodsThe sample of the study consisted of 97 individuals (48 experimental and 49 controls) who were admitted to a training and research hospital in Turkey between December 2018 and May 2019. Individuals assigned to the experimental group received hand massage. The data were obtained with an individual information form, a visual analog scale (VAS), and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI).ResultsThe mean age of the participants was 49.52 ± 12.48 years. There was no significant difference between the pain levels of the experimental and control groups (p > .05), but the anxiety level of the experimental group was significantly less than that of the control group (p < .05). There was also a significant difference between the experimental and control groups in terms of systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate. The blood pressure and heart rate of the experimental group decreased significantly (p < .05).ConclusionHand massage was found to be a simple, non-pharmacologic, inexpensive, and independent nursing practice that could be used to reduce anxiety and positively affect vital signs in patients before venipuncture procedure.