Patients with MS use non-pharmacological methods as well as pharmacological methods in the treatment of their symptoms. Acupuncture, acupressure, aquatherapy, reflexology and aromatherapy are also complementary and integrated methods frequently used in patients with MS. Integrated methods, which have an important place in independent nursing practices, have been preferred in nursing practices in recent years due to their safety, ease of application and minimal side effects. In addition, acupressure application is included in the Nursing Interventions Classification, and is a method that increases the independent functions of the nurse and improves patient-nurse interaction.
In addition to pharmacological methods, patients with MS also use non-pharmacological methods in the treatment of the symptoms they experience. Acupuncture, acupressure, aquatherapy, reflexology and aromatherapy are also complementary and integrated methods frequently used in MS. Integrated methods, which have an important place in independent nursing practices, have been preferred in nursing practices in recent years due to their safety, ease of application and minimal side effects. In addition, acupressure application is included in the Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC), and is a method that increases the independent functions of the nurse and improves patient-nurse interaction. In addition, it is reported that acupressure, which is used in symptom control, should be used in care plans by nurses because it is one of the integrated methods. Acupressure, one of the integrated treatment methods used for many years, can be applied to increase sleep quality and reduce fatigue levels. Acupressure is a massage technique based on the principle of applying pressure to specific points on the body using hands, fingers and stimulator tools. It has been determined that acupressure, which is reported to be applied safely by nurses in the literature, is effective in controlling fatigue, pain, sleep quality, depression, anxiety, quality of life and stress levels of patients with MS. Therefore, nurses should be able to apply integrated methods in the management of symptoms experienced by patients with MS in cooperation with other members of the healthcare team and inform patients about these methods. It is believed that the results of the study to be conducted on this subject will contribute to nursing interventions in the symptom management of MS.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
40
The patients in the experimental group received acupressure application for a total of 8 sessions, 2 sessions per week.
Yuzuncu Yıl University , Faculty of health science
Van, Turkey (Türkiye)
Fatigue Severity Scale
The scale is a Likert type with 9 questions, and each question is rated from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). The total score varies between 9-63, with total scores of 27 and above indicating fatigue.
Time frame: 4 weeks
Richard-Campbell Sleep Scale
The scale consists of 6 items. The items measure the depth of night sleep, the time it takes to fall asleep, the frequency of waking up, the time it takes to stay awake when you wake up, the quality of sleep, and the noise level in the environment. A score of "0-25" indicates "very bad sleep", and a score of "76-100" indicates "very good sleep". While the total score of the scale is calculated, the scores from the 5 items are added up, and the 6th item is not included in the total score evaluation. The minimum score from the scale is 0 and the maximum score is 100. An increase in the score from the scale indicates an increase in sleep quality.
Time frame: 4 weeks
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.