Facial massage for patients’ evolution in electroconvulsive therapy

Abstract

Introduction: Across the history in the treatment of the diseases, especially the psychic ones, methods and natural mechanisms have been used. In this wide range of mechanisms there appears the acupuncture, the massage, the homeopathy and the fioral therapy. Objective: to evaluate the effects of the application of facial massage in patients hospitalized with electroconvulsive therapy. Methods: A quasiexperimental study of intervention and comparison was carried out at the Psychiatric Hospital of Clear Villa in April - June, 2014. The universe of study was composed of 124 patients who received electroconvulsive therapy. 62 of them were applied facial massage (Study Group I), the other 62 patients (Control Group) didn´t receive facial massage. There was no randomization to create the groups, it was done through an intentional non-probabilistic sampling or opinion-based. The technique chosen was the Tuina massage. Results: 36-45 years old was the prevailing age, and masculine the prevailing sex. The collateral effects in the study group were evident in only 9.6 of the patients; and the consumption of medicines for this reason was lesser than 90.3 %. The evolution in the study group was satisfactory in 56 (90.3%) patients, whereas in the control group only 28 (45.17%). Conclusions: The application of facial massage turned out to be effective in the patients hospitalized with electroconvulsive therapy because the study group presented a o variation in the pharmacological dose, the collateral effects decreased and the massage had good acceptance from the patients.