title: Expanding the nursing repertoire: the effect of massage on post-operative pain.
abstract: An equivalent groups design with a treatment group of 19 patients and a control group of 20 patients was used to investigate the impact of massage therapy on patients' perceptions of post-operative pain. Data were analysed using analysis of covariance repeated measures (within subjects) design. Controlling for age, the results indicated that massage produced a significant reduction in patients' perceptions of pain over a 24 hour period. A linear positive relationship emerged between patients' age and the duration of the massage. The study indicates that further investigation of the potential for massage to reduce pain is warranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Human Development, Victoria University of Technology.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nixon
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Teschendorff
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Finney
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Karnilowicz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015400:Clinical Nursing Research; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008405:Massage / Q000451:nursing*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000451:nursing*; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000451:nursing*