Effect of Flexibility Exercise on Symptom Distress of Cancer Patient Undergoing Chemotherapy

Abstract

Background: Cancer is a growing disease and a leading cause of death globally. Cancer can be treatedwith chemotherapy treatment which causes side effects like symptom distress. Symptom distress can beovercome by non-pharmacological, one of which is flexibility exercise.Object: to identify effect of flexibility exercise on symptom distress in cancer patients undergoingchemotherapy.Methods: The study design used a quasi-experimental design with an equivalent control group. There were40 respondents of cancer patients who are undergoing chemotherapy which were divided into two groups,20 intervention, and 20 control groups. The sampling technique was consecutive sampling. The data werecollected by the Symptom Distress Scale. The data were analyzed by a paired t-test in the intervention groupbefore and after the intervention and control group.Results: The results obtained were differences in symptoms distress in the intervention group after flexibilityexercise (t=13.24, p=0.00). The study was also analyzed by an independent t-test showing that therewere differences in symptoms distress between the intervention and the control group of cancer patientsundergoing chemotherapy (t=-2.42, p=0.02).Conclusion: The flexibility exercise can be a non-pharmacological measure to help reduce symptoms ofcancer patients undergoing chemotherapy