The existential experiences of receiving soft tissue massage in palliative home care--an intervention.
BACKGROUND
Soft tissue massage is currently used in palliative care for the relief of anxiety and pain. Only few studies have focused on patients' deeper experience of receiving the massage.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to explore how patients with cancer in palliative home care experienced soft tissue massage.


METHODS
Twenty-two patients received soft tissue massage (hand or foot) nine times over a period of 2 weeks. Each session lasted for 25 min. Following the last massage session, a qualitative interview was conducted. The analysis was performed using a hermeneutic approach.


RESULTS
Soft tissue massage generated feelings of existential respite with perceptions of being released from illness for a while. Two categories constituted the basis of the experiences: (1) "an experience of thoughtful attention" and (2) "a sensation of complete tranquility" resulting in the overarching theme "A time of existential respite."


CONCLUSIONS
The patients experienced the massage to give meaning and to be important as it generated feelings of an inner respite.


CONCLUSIONS
Soft tissue massage appears to be an appreciated source of support to dying patients in palliative home care. The method is easy to comprehend and relatively short (25 min) which may imply that it is a suitable complement in nursing care for this patient group.
Cronfalk
Berit Seiger
BS
Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. berit.cronfalk@ki.se
Strang
Peter
P
Ternestedt
Britt-Marie
BM
Friedrichsen
Maria
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006699:Home Care Services; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008405:Massage / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms; D010166:Palliative Care; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D013727:Terminal Care