The effect of abdominal massage on the severity of constipation in elderly patients hospitalized with fractures: A randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND

There is significant interest in the use of complementary therapies to control or reduce the severity of constipation.

AIM: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of abdominal massage on the severity of constipation in elderly patients with fractures.

METHODS

In this randomized clinical trial, 60 elderly patients admitted to an Iranian orthopedic referral hospital who were suffering from constipation were randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. For the intervention group, abdominal massage was performed for 3 days, twice a day, for 15 minutes. Both groups were assessed using the Constipation Assessment Scale (CAS) and the Bristol Stool Scale (BSS).

RESULTS

A statistically significant difference was observed between the two groups in BSS scores (p < 0.05). The mean CAS scores in the intervention group decreased from 10.74 to 4.51 after intervention and in the control group, it decreased from 10.20 to 7.37. There was a statistically significant difference in CAS scores between the two groups (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The results of the study showed the positive effect of abdominal massage on stool consistency and reduction of severity constipation.