Another study explores the effect of slow-stroke back
massages on anxiety and shoulder pain in hospitalized
elderly patients with stroke. An experimental quantitative
design was conducted, comparing the scores for selfreported pain, anxiety, blood pressure, heart rate and pain of
two groups of patients before and immediately after, and
three days after the intervention. The intervention consisted
of ten minutes of slow-stroke back massage (SSBM) for
seven consecutive evenings. One hundred and two patients
participated in the entire study and were randomly assigned
to a massage group or a control group. The results revealed
that the massage intervention significantly reduced the
patients’ levels of pain perception and anxiety. In addition to
the subjective measures, all physiological measures (systolic
and diastolic blood pressures and heart rate) changed
positively, indicating relaxation. The prolonged effect of
Slow Stroke Back Massage was also evident, as reflected by
the maintenance of the psycho-physiological parameters
three days after the massage. The patients’ perceptions of
Slow Stroke Back Massage, determined from a
questionnaire, revealed positive support for Slow Stroke
Back Massage for elderly stroke patients. The authors
suggest that Slow Stroke Back Massage is an effective
nursing intervention for reducing shoulder pain and anxiety
in elderly patients with stroke. From a nursing perspective,
this nursing practice provides a challenge and an opportunity
for nurses and family caregivers to blend alternative
therapies with technology to provide more individualized
and holistic patient care