背部按摩對化學治療期間疲憊及焦慮之成效

The Effects of Back Massage on Fatigue and Anxiety During Chemotherapy

疲憊及焦慮是接受化學治療病患最困擾的症狀，為改善化學治療期間病患的疲憊及焦慮問題，本研究目的為測試背部按摩在改善化學治療病患疲憊及焦慮的成效。採類實驗法及前、後測縱貫式研究設計，針對頭頸部及食道癌病患，將符合收案之病患隨機分派至對照組及背部按摩組（實驗組）。兩組人數依序為17與15人，共32人，實驗組在化學治療期間，予連續三天，每天兩次，一次10分鐘的背部按摩，前後測量疲憊及焦慮視覺類比量表，對照組病患則接受目前病房之常規照護，兩組在治療前至治療第四天，測量疲憊及焦慮視覺類比量表，以瞭解每日疲憊及焦慮的變化。統計方法有：平均數、獨立t檢定、配對t檢定及重覆測量變異數分析。結果發現:（1）對照組之疲憊及焦慮程度隨治療天數而增加，疲憊在治療第三天及第四天皆明顯高於治療前；（2）接受背部按摩病患之每日疲憊程度未顯著增加，而焦慮程度反而下降；（3）接受背部按摩的病患在每次接受按摩後疲憊及焦慮程度皆明顯下降。研究結果支持背部按摩可降低化學治療病患之疲憊及焦慮程度，使病患獲得更好的生活品質。

Fatigue and anxiety are both the most annoying symptoms in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. In this study, we aimed to assess the effects of back massage in reducing chemotherapy-induced fatigue and anxiety. A quasi-experimental design was used for this study. Pre-test and post-test longitudinal methods were used for data collection. A total of thirty-two eligible patients, with head and neck or esophageal cancers were randomized assigned into two groups: control and back massage group. Seventeen and fifteen patients were assigned in each group, respectively. The experimental patients received a 10-minute program, twice a day for three consecutive days during chemotherapy. The control group patients received daily ward routine care only. We measured patients’ visual analogue scale including fatigue and anxiety before and after back massage program. Until to the fourth day of chemotherapy, visual analogue scale of fatigue and anxiety were used to measure daily changes. Data were analyzed using mean, independented t-test, paired t-test, and repeated measures ANOVA. We found that (1) fatigue level in the control group increased during chemotherapy. The fatigue and anxiety levels on the third and fourth day were significantly higher than pre-chemotherapy. (2) In the back massage group, fatigue levels weren't increase significantly, and anxiety levels decreased than pre-chemotherapy. (3) However in the back massage group, fatigue and anxiety level were reduced significantly immediately after therapy. The results indicated that back massage programs could reduce chemotherapy-induced fatigue and anxiety, and improve the quality of life of the patients.