A pilot study: the effect of healing touch on anxiety, stress, pain, pain medication usage, and physiological measures in hospitalized sickle cell disease adults experiencing a vaso-occlusive pain episode.

PURPOSE: This pilot study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of Healing Touch on anxiety, stress, pain, pain medication usage, and selected physiological measures of hospitalized adults with sickle cell disease experiencing a vaso-occlusive pain episode. DESIGN: Healing Touch sessions were administered for 30 minutes on four consecutive days, and the self-reported data on anxiety, stress, pain, and the selected physiological data were collected while controlling for music and presence. METHOD: A parallel-group randomized control trial comparing the effects of Healing Touch with Music (HTM) to Attention Control with Music (ACM). FINDINGS: Due to the small sample size, there were no statistically significant changes in any between-group comparisons, except for present pain on Day 4 for the ACM group. For both groups, the within-group comparison showed a nonsignificant reduction in physiological parameters, a statistically significant reduction in anxiety and stress for the ACM group after Day 4, and a statistically significant reduction in stress in the HTM group after Days 2 and 4. The pre- to postintervention reductions in present pain were greater in the HTM group across all 4 days, but the only statistically significant within groups findings were in the HTM group (p < .01) on Day 1. CONCLUSIONS: Further research is needed.

Racial and ethnic disparities in cancer pain management.

This study explored the ways in which racially and ethnically diverse patients differ in their perceptions of the cancer pain experience, barriers to treatment, and satisfaction with treatment. This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at four cancer treatment centers and one cancer clinic in the southeastern United States and included 66 White, African-American, Latino, and American Indian cancer patients experiencing pain related to disease or disease progression. Pain Management Index (PMI) scores were calculated and subjects provided responses to the Cancer Pain Experience questionnaire, the Barriers Questionnaire, and a modified American Pain Society Satisfaction Survey. African-Americans reported a low PMI score. Whites reported the lowest mean level of agreement with all statements about barriers to pain relief. Addressing differences in patient beliefs about what constitutes successful pain treatment and treatment satisfaction, caregiver behaviors, and system characteristics might improve the quality of care and possibly reduce the mortality of cancer patients with pain.

Offering an online course: complementary and alternative therapies in nursing practice.

With 30% to 80% of adults in industrialized countries using complementary and alternative therapies, faculty at one university recognized a need for a complementary and alternative therapies course at the graduate level. The course includes concepts for master's students and doctoral students, presents a variety of topics, and allows students to interview a practitioner in a field they are particularly interested in.

Partner-delivered reflexology: effects on cancer pain and anxiety.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To compare the effects of partner-delivered foot reflexology and usual care plus attention on patients' perceived pain and anxiety. DESIGN: The experimental pretest/post-test design included patient-partner dyads randomly assigned to an experimental or control group. SETTING: Four hospitals in the southeastern United States. SAMPLE: 42 experimental and 44 control subjects comprised 86 dyads of patients with metastatic cancer and their partners, representing 16 different types of cancer; 23% of patients had lung cancer, followed by breast, colorectal, and head and neck cancer and lymphoma. The subjects had a mean age of 58.3 years, 51% were female, 66% had a high school education or less, and 58% were Caucasian, 40% were African American, and 1% were Filipino. METHODS: The intervention included a 15- to 30-minute teaching session on foot reflexology to the partner by a certified reflexologist, an optional 15- to 30-minute foot reflexology session for the partner, and a 30-minute, partner-delivered foot reflexology intervention for the patient. The control group received a 30-minute reading session from their partners. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES: Pain and anxiety. FINDINGS: Following the initial partner-delivered foot reflexology, patients experienced a significant decrease in pain intensity and anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: A nurse reflexologist taught partners how to perform reflexology on patients with metastatic cancer pain in the hospital, resulting in an immediate decrease in pain intensity and anxiety; minimal changes were seen in the control group, who received usual care plus attention. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: Hospitals could have qualified professionals offer reflexology as a complementary therapy and teach interested partners the modality.

The effect of foot reflexology on pain in patients with metastatic cancer.

Thirty-six oncology inpatients participated in this third pilot study investigating the effects of foot reflexology in which equianalgesic dosing was calculated. Foot reflexology was found to have a positive immediate effect for patients with metastatic cancer who report pain, although there was no statistically significant effect at 3 hours after intervention or at 24 hours after intervention. Further study is suggested for foot reflexology delivered by family in the homes for management of cancer pain.

Using reflexology for pain management. A review.

More than two thirds of Americans with chronic pain are now using complementary and alternative therapies. One complementary and alternative therapy, reflexology, has a long history and has been found useful on a case-by-case basis. This article provides a review of the literature on the use of reflexology as a therapy in pain management. Although reflexology is widely used, systematic research is needed to examine its effectiveness. To date, however, only a few studies have focused on reflexology's use in pain management. Because reflexology is a noninvasive, nonpharmacological therapy, nurses are in a position to do research on and make decisions about its clinical effectiveness.