The effect of Acupressure and Reiki application on Patient's pain and comfort level after laparoscopic cholecystectomy: A randomized controlled trial

Abstract

BackgroundThe aim of the study was to examine the effect of Acupressure and Reiki application on patient's pain and comfort level after Laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Materials and methodsIn this prospective, single blinded randomized controlled trial, subjects were 132 adult patients, hospitalized in the General Surgery clinics and underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy of a Training and Research Hospital in Turkey. Subjects were then assigned including a Reiki group of 44 persons, an Acupressure group of 44 persons, and a control group of 44 persons. The pain and comfort levels of all the patients, before and after the Acupressure and Reiki treatments in the experimental group, and without any intervention in the control groups were determined at the 3rd postoperative hour, using Pain on Visual Analogue Scale (Pain on VAS), Perianesthesia Comfort Scale (PCS) and General Comfort Questionnaire (GCQ). The data analyses were performed using descriptive statistics, Shapiro Wilk test, paired samples t-test, Mann Whitney U test, ANOVA and LSD multiple comparison tests, Kruskal Wallis test and Wilcoxon test. ResultsIn the patients who received reiki and acupressure treatment, the pain level decreased, comfort level increased and the difference between the groups was found to be significant (p < 0.05). ConclusionReiki and Acupressure applied to the patients after Laparoscopic cholecystectomy decreased the pain and increased the comfort level.