A Comparison Between Self-Massage with Pain-Relief Ball and Hand Massage in Registered Nurses - เปรียบเทียบผลระหว่างการนวดตนเองด้วย ลูกบอลคลายปวดและการนวดตนเองด้วยมือ ต่อการลดความปวดบ่าและคอในพยาบาลวิชาชีพ

Abstract

                  The purpose of study was to assess the effectiveness of an innovation, the pain-relief ball, to reduce shoulder and neck pain. It was conducted at as a case-control study comparing between the experimental group, 35 rigistered nurses at Mahasarakham Hospital who performed self-massage with the painrelief ball, and the control group, 35 rigistered nurses at Kalasin Hospital who used self-massage by hands. The duration of massage for both groups was 15 minutes per day for 7 days. The mean scores of shoulder and neck pain were compared both within each group and between the 2 groups before and after the intervention. In addition, user satisfaction of the pain-relief ball was also assessed. Data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics as well as inferential statistics such as paired samples t-test, independent samples t-test, relative success and 95%CI (significance at p<0.05). It was found that both groups had decreased mean score of shoulder and neck pain. The magnitude of reduction was higher in the experimenta group (1.63 vs 0.34). Comparing the mean difference of shoulder and neck pain between the two groups, there was no significant difference at the beginning, while the level of pain was significantly lower in the experimental group after 7 days of the intervention. In addition, there was a 2-fold reduction of cramping pain in the experimental group as compared to the control; and the dull pain reduction was 2.29 time lower. Users of the pain-relief ball expressed their high level of satifaction because the ball was easy to use, users were able to control the pressure and the agility outcome at work. Futhermore, the ball was easy to produce at low cost from waste materials. Thus, the pain-relief ball should be promoted to become a pain relief device that can be used at convenience at any place.

Key words: self-massage, massage equipment, pain-relief ball