The therapeutic effect of two different massages on the sleep quality of orthopedic surgery patients: A randomized controlled study

Objective: Poor sleep quality due to pain, anxiety, and other surgical complications is a common challenge in postoperative patients. The present study aims to investigate the effect of postoperative slow-stroke back and hot stone massage therapy on the sleep quality of orthopedic surgery patients.

Methods: This randomized and controlled clinical trial was conducted on 99 patients in the postoperative period of orthopedic surgery. The participants were randomly distributed into three groups (slow-stroke back massage, hot stone massage, and routine care). On the first or second day after the surgery, one group received a slow-stroke back massage, and another received a hot stone massage in the morning and afternoon for 10-15 minutes. Demographic surveys and the Richard-Campbell Sleep Questionnaire (RCSQ) were used for data collection. Chi-square, Kruskal-Wallis, and Wilcoxon tests were used for analysis, and the desired significance level was considered < 0.05.

Results: There was a significant improvement in sleep quality scores of patients in the slow-stroke back or hot stone massage groups compared with the routine care group (p < 0.001) and also before intervention (p < 0.001).

Conclusion: The results suggest that slow-stroke back and hot stone massages can improve sleep quality in patients with orthopedic surgery in the postoperative period.