LOS ANGELES, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- A 20-minute evening back massage may help relieve pain and reduce anxiety following major surgery when given in addition to pain medications, according to anew study.
Many patients still experience pain following major surgery despite the availability of pain-relieving medications, said the study published in the December issue of Archives of Surgery.
But massage may help to relieve the anxiety that synergizes with pain effectively. It could also generate mood-boosting endorphins or create a competing sensation that blocks pain, according to the study.
A team of U.S. researchers from the Department of Veterans Affairs and VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System conducted a randomized controlled trial involving 605 veterans (average age 64) undergoing major surgery (chest or abdominal operations) between 2003 and 2005.
Patients were asked daily to rate the intensity and unpleasantness of their pain, plus their level of anxiety, on scales of one to 10.
Compared with the control group, patients in the massage group experienced short-term decreases in pain intensity and anxiety, according to the study.
The effectiveness of massage in reducing both the intensity and unpleasantness of pain suggests that it may act through more than one mechanism, said the study.
Editor: Sun Yunlong
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