Effect of Massage on Nausea and Vomiting of Patient with Chemotherapy: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Chemotherapy is adversely associated with nausea and vomiting in most cases. Adherence to this treatment reduces and patients' quality of life and affects it negatively. At present, non-pharmacological therapeutic alternatives are used for management of nausea and vomiting. This can be executed without additional cost or time in the clinical practice arena. 

Objective: This study aims to determine the effects of massage therapy in reducing nausea and vomiting symptoms in adult patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Methods: A randomized controlled trial (RCT) was performed on 82 adult patients suffering from cancers, who were undergoing chemotherapy at the Oncology Center, Wasit Governorate, Iraq. the study samples were divided randomly into two groups: Foot massage group: The massage lasted for a total of 20 minutes, with 10 minutes devoted to each foot by using of peppermint oil and the Control group: Did not receive any intervention. The data collection instruments were the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) and the Rhodes Index Scale.

Results: The findings revealed the distribution and comparison of nausea and vomiting between all groups, in response to all interventions. They showed that there were significant mean differences between the massage groups as compared to the control group at p .000.

Conclusion: The foot massage therapy demonstrated promise in managing chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV). These non-pharmacological approaches have demonstrated significant reductions in the severity of nausea, incidence of vomiting, and overall discomfort associated with CINV compared to routine treatment alone.