Effect of hand massage on pain and anxiety in patients after liver transplantation: A randomised controlled trial.

This study aimed to determine the effects of hand massage on postoperative pain, and anxiety levels in liver transplant patients. This study was a randomised clinical trial. The study sample comprised 80 adult patients who had liver transplantation: 40 experimental and 40 control group. In the experimental group, the researcher performed hand massage. No treatment was performed in the control group. To analyse the data, descriptive statistics, a chi-squared test, a t -test for dependent groups, and a t -test for independent groups were used. According to hand massage follow-ups after liver transplantation, the mean scores of pain intensity and anxiety levels was lower, with a statistical significance in the experimental group compared with the control group in all measurements before and after hand massage (p < 0.001). The hand massage applied to liver transplant patients positively affected and decreased the severity of pain, and anxiety levels. • Hand massage is effective in reducing postoperative pain and anxiety levels in patients undergoing liver transplantation. • The results of our study showed that hand massage, which is a complementary treatment, is effective in reducing post-transplant pain, improving anxiety levels and providing recovery in liver transplant patients. • The use of complementary therapies such as hand massage as well as medication will improve the quality of nursing care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]