The findings suggest that the method of bathing used in this study is safe and pain-relieving for terminal stage cancer patients. It is thus possible to provide safe and comfortable care for terminal stage cancer patients using mechanical baths.
Objective: To clarify the physical and psychological effects of head massage performed in the supine position using Ayurveda-based techniques (head treatment).Design: Twenty-four healthy female students were included in the study. Using a crossover study design, the same participants were enrolled in both the head treatment intervention group and control group. There was an interval of 1 week or more between measurements.Outcome measures: The physiologic indices measured included blood pressure and heart rate fluctuations (high frequency and low frequency/high frequency). The psychological markers measured included liveliness, depression, and boredom using the visual analogue scale method. State anxiety was measured using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory method.Results: The parasympathetic nerve activity increased immediately after head treatment. Upon completion of head treatment, the parasympathetic nerve predominance tended to gradually ease. Head treatment boosted freshness and relieved anxiety.Conclusions: The results suggest that head treatment has a relaxing and refreshing effect and may be used to provide comfort.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.