Cardiac surgery presents a life-saving and life-enhancing opportunity to hundreds of thousands of patients each year in the United States. However, many patients face significant challenges during the postoperative period, including pain, anxiety, and tension. Mounting evidence demonstrates that such challenges can impair immune function and slow wound healing, in addition to causing suffering for the patient. Finding new approaches to mitigate these challenges is necessary if patients are to experience the full benefits of surgery. Massage therapy is a therapy that has significant evidence to support its role in meeting these needs. This paper looks at the data surrounding the use of massage therapy in cardiac surgery patients, with a special focus on the experience at Mayo Clinic.
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