Massage for Symptom Management in Adult Inpatients With Hematologic Malignancies

BACKGROUND: Patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplant often suffer from a predictable constellation of side effects related to therapy. Nonpharmacologic treatments for these side effects are attractive adjuncts to therapy due to a low side-effect profile. OBJECTIVE: To develop, implement, and evaluate a pilot program of massage therapy for symptom management in adult patients with hematologic malignancies admitted to the bone marrow transplant (BMT) service at a large academic medical center. METHODS: A single-arm feasibility study of massage therapy was conducted. Pre- and postintervention surveys were collected to assess the usefulness in management of 7 symptoms. RESULTS: Over an 11.5-month period, 109 patients received 142 massage treatments. one in five patients received more than one massage. We received surveys on 134 massage treatments. Patients reported significant reductions in anxiety, distress, fatigue, pain, and tension (P < .01) and improved sleep as a result of massage therapy. CONCLUSION: Based on this pilot, massage therapy is a feasible and safe intervention to administer during BMT hospitalizations. It proved useful in managing a constellation of 5 side effects including, anxiety, distress, fatigue, pain, and tension.