Calming Music and Hand Massage With Agitated Elderly

Ruth Remington

Background: Agitated behavior is a widespread problem that adversely affects the health of nursing home residents and increases the cost of their care.
Objective: To examine whether modifying environmental stimuli by the use of calming music and hand massage affects agitated behavior in persons with dementia.
Method: A four group, repeated measures experimental design was used to test the effect of a 10-minute exposure to either calming music, hand massage, or calming music and hand massage simultaneously, or no intervention (control) on the frequency and type of agitated behaviors in nursing home residents with dementia (N  68). A modified version of the
Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory was used to record agitated behaviors.
Results: Each of the experimental interventions reduced agitation more than no intervention. The benefit was sustained and increased up to one hour following the intervention (F
6.47,
p .01). The increase in benefit over time was similar for each intervention group. When types of agitated behaviors were examined separately, none of the interventions significantly reduced physically aggressive behaviors (F 1.93, p  .09), while physically nonaggressive behaviors decreased during each of the interventions (F 3.78, p  01). No additive benefit resulted from simultaneous exposure to calming music and hand massage. At one hour
following any intervention, verbally agitated behavior decreased more than no intervention.
Conclusion: Calming music and hand massage alter the immediate environment of agitated nursing home residents to a calm structured surrounding, offsetting disturbing stimuli, but
no additive benefit was found by combining interventions simultaneously.

Nursing Research September/October 2002 Vol 51, No 5 – abstract

Full text available in  through MTABC member only website (link) under the research tab and then library.

Filed under: Agitation, Massage Therapy, Research

Therapeutic massage in older persons: research issues

SP Weinrich, S Haddock, K Robinson

Growing recognition of the importance of holistic nursing interventions is
resulting In a revival in the use of therapeutic massage. Massage
contributes to health and healing through enhancement of relaxation, and is
a safe, caring, and inexpensive Intervention. Therapeutic massage research
using older populations is reviewed for identification of its theoretical
framework, design, outcome variables, sample, procedures, instruments,
analyses and results. To establish a scientific basis for therapeutic massage
in the future, It is critical that nurses include the following key elements in
their research studies: clear definitions; procedures for massage that
include type(s) of massage performed, part of body massaged, and length of
time of massage; and analyses that control for the pre-massage level of the
vatiable of interest. Research variables need to focus on concepts that have
major health consequences such as a^tatlon. Immune status, and pain.

British Journal of Nursing 1999, vol 8, No 3

Full text available in  through MTABC member only website (link) under the research tab and then library.

Filed under: Literature review, Massage Therapy, Research

Training Family Caregivers in Hand and Foot Massage for Hospitalized Patients: Feasibility, Challenges, and Lessons Learned

KR. Faurot, SA. Gaylord, JD Mann

Increasingly, research is demonstrating the safety, efficacy, and patient satisfaction
associated with use of nonpharmacological, complementary interventions for pain
management in hospital settings. One such intervention, massage, has been found to
be effective for pain and anxiety reduction in limited forms, such as described here,
massage is relatively easy to learn and apply. The pilot project was designed to develop
and assess a clinical intervention using hand and foot massage for management of pain and
anxiety in inpatients on a rehabilitation unit. Methods included formal training of staff
nurses in hand and foot massage and subsequently having them teach key family caregivers
of the patient how to deliver hand or foot massage in response to reports of pain
and anxiety. The report describes study rationale, project development, challenges to
implementation in an academic, tertiary care, inpatient rehabilitation facility, and lessons
learned for future project design and implementation. The need for a community-based
participatory research perspective is addressed.

Complementary Health Practice Review 2007; 12; 203- abstract

DOI: 10.1177/1533210107307154

Filed under: family caregiver, Massage Therapy, pain management, Research

Life chance characteristics of older users of Swedish massage

KD Willisona, GJ Andrewsb, WC Cockerhamc

Summary The characteristics of those who use complementary and alternative
medicine (CAM), as an approach to chronic disease management, are poorly
understood. They may however be important to nurses and other health
professionals given that CAM is increasingly used by their patients with chronic
disorders. In these contexts, the purpose of this study was to ascertain unique life
chance population characteristics which significantly influence the use of Swedish
massage therapy (SMT), a popular form of CAM, by older adults with chronic health
dysfunctions. A multi-site and cross-sectional design was used, as well as a pretested
postal questionnaire. One hundred forty-one (141) urban, non-institutionalized,
English-speaking older persons participated, ranging in age from 60 to 94
years. Findings denote the essential role life chances have on individuals accessing
alternative forms of care.

Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice (2005) 11, 232–241 – abstract

doi:10.1016/j.ctcp.2004.10.003

Filed under: Massage Therapy, Research, Utilization

Effects of home massage rehabilitation therapy for the bed-ridden elderly: a pilot trial with a threemonth follow-up

Y Hirakawa, Y Masuda, T Kimata, K Uemura, M Kuzuya

Objectives: To assess the effects of home massage rehabilitation therapy on the bed-ridden elderly.

Design: Alternatively allocated trial.

Setting: Subjects’ homes, three home nursing stations, 13 visit care stations and one day service centre in Aichi prefecture, Japan.

Subjects: Bed-ridden patients who were 65 years and above, no dementia, stable general condition, and receiving no rehabilitation therapy.

Intervention: Thirty-minute sessions of home massage rehabilitation therapy by a massage practitioner 2 or 3 days a week for three consecutive months or usual care.

Main measurements: Barthel Index (BI), Subjective Satisfaction and Refreshment Scale, Apathy Scale and Self-rating Depression Score.

Results: Fifty-three subjects were recruited, 26 in the home massage rehabilitation group (HMG) and 27 in the routine care group without massage (RCG). The protocol was completed for 40 subjects, 22 in the HMG and 18 in the RCG. There were no significant differences between the baseline characteristics of both groups; age, presence of spouse, diseases associated with disabilities and use of day care rehabilitation (p / 0.76, 0.36, 0.94 and 0.71, respectively). The total BI score of the HMG (15.279=4.51) at baseline was nonsignificantly lower (p=0.03) than those of the RCG (11.449=5.90). Subjective Satisfaction and Refreshment Scale, Apathy Scale and Self-rating Depression Score of both groups at baseline were matched (p / 0.12, 0.32 and 0.89, respectively). There were no statistical differences between the intergroup changes over time in BI, Subjective Satisfaction and Refreshment Scale, Apathy Scale and Self-rating Depression Score (p / 0.35, 0.08, 0.70 and 0.55, respectively).

Conclusion: Home massage rehabilitation therapy did not show a positive effect on the bed-ridden elderly, either mentally or physically. We would require large-size trials to determine whether it is effective.

Clinical Rehabilitation 2005; 19; 20 – abstract

Full text available in  through MTABC member only website (link) under the research tab and then library.

DOI: 10.1191/0269215505cr795oa

Filed under: Massage Therapy, Patient satisfaction, Physical function, Research

Effectiveness of Social Work Treatment and Massage Therapy for Nursing Home Clients

Kam-fong Monit Cheung

Objective: An ABAB single-system design was employed to test the efficacy of a combined social work treatment with massage therapy to improve the physical functioning of nursing home clients.                                                                                                                                         Method: Six clients ages 75 to 90 were randomly selected in three small-scale nursing homes to receive baseline measures and two 7-week treatment programs over a 28-week study period. Activities of Daily Living level and frequency of personal assistance were measured by the caretakers at the nursing homes. Observations were noted by both the massage therapist and the social worker, who worked as a team serving each client.                                             Results: Although the outcome patterns varied from one individual to another, significant improvements were found in three individuals.
Conclusion: The findings suggest that the improvement in physical outcomes among the
age 75 years or more (75+) population is largely influenced by the individual’s current state of
physical and mental capabilities.

Research on Social Work Practice 1999; 9; 229 – abstract

DOI: 10.1177/104973159900900207

Filed under: Massage Therapy, Physical function, Research