May 17, 2004 – Preliminary study results indicate that a ten-minute chair massage is more beneficial than a simple break in reducing stress for nurses.
Chair massage is enjoying some popularity in workplaces, especially in offices, but it could also be useful for staff working in hospitals: an American nurse trained in massage therapy had the idea to verify what the impact would be. a chair massage on the perception of stress in this profession, where it is commonplace. Mary Kay Brennan presented her research at the Second International Congress on the Science of Touch which was held in Montreal from May 12 to 15.
During this study, 82 nurses with at least six months of experience, working full time and not using any form of massage therapy were randomly divided into two groups: the first received a chair massage of ten. minutes and the other group took a ten minute break where each participant did whatever they wanted: read, have coffee, chat, smoke, etc. The chair massage was performed by four duly certified massage therapists and according to a precise protocol in order to standardize the intervention.
Before the start of the trial, that is to say before knowing in which group she would be, each of the nurses had answered a standard questionnaire relating to the overall perception of her stress.1. After the massage or the break, each was given the same questionnaire and filled it out again. Compilation of the data revealed that the perception of stress did not change in those who took a break, while it declined markedly in those who received a massage.
The researcher recalled that stress is a cause of burnout, errors and absenteeism and that hospitals would benefit from investing in programs to support their staff in this regard. “If nurses are not doing well, what quality of care can they provide? “
During the study, 60 participants received a coupon entitling them to 30 minutes of free massage for having answered the questionnaire within the required time. A year later, much to Ms. Brennan’s regret, only 14 of them had taken advantage …
Françoise Ruby – PasseportSanté.net
1. Brennan MK, and DiGioacchino DeBate R. The Effect of Chair Massage On The Stress Perception Of Hospital Bedside Nurses. MassageTherapy Journal, Spring 2004, Vol. 43, no1.
2. This form (Perceived Stress Scale) has 14 questions about the sources of stress that have arisen in the past month and measures the degree of intensity.
