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A self-administered moxibustion-cum-massage intervention for older adults with chronic pain in the community: A randomized controlled trial
Date Issued
2023
ISSN
1873-6963
0965-2299
Citation
Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 2023, Vol. 72, article no. 102908.
Description
Open access
Type
Peer Reviewed Journal Article
Abstract
Objectives
To determine the effectiveness of a simple, self-administrable moxibustion-cum-massage intervention for relieving chronic pain and improving psychological well-being for older adults in the community.
Design
A randomized controlled trial.
Setting
Seventy-eight participants with chronic pain were randomly assigned to the intervention and waitlist control groups.
Interventions
Participants received two moxa sticks a day to use the moxibustion-cum-massage procedure with the help of trained volunteers or caregivers for five consecutive days.
Main outcome measures
Participates’ pain level, sleep quality, depression and subjective well-being were measured before the intervention (T0), immediately after the intervention (T1), and one week after the intervention (T2).
Results
Repeated measures ANOVA revealed a significant group × time interaction effect in subjective well-being with a medium effect size. Regarding within-group effects in the intervention group at post-intervention (T1), the subjective pain level was significantly reduced with a small effect size, while sleep quality and depression significantly improved with large effect sizes. The control group showed no significant within-group effects in these variables. Maintenance effects at follow-up (T2) were not significant.
Conclusion
Despite the short intervention timeframe of five days, the study revealed preliminary evidence that the moxibustion-cum-massage intervention can be an effective, self-administrable pain relief regime for older adults. A longer period of intervention time is suggested for future studies.
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