Effect of Abdominal Massage with and without Salvia officinalis on Nausea and Vomiting in Patients with Cancer Undergoing Chemotherapy: A Randomized Clinical Trial

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of abdominal massage with and without Salvia officinalis on nausea and vomiting in patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy. METHODS: In this randomized clinical trial, 60 patients undergoing chemotherapy were placed in one of two intervention groups or in a control group. Abdominal massage with and without Salvia officinalis was performed for 15 minutes twice a day for 3 consecutive days by the patient's companion. The rate of nausea and vomiting was measured with a Visual Analog Scale. RESULTS: Findings showed that immediately after the intervention, the mean score of nausea in abdominal massage with Salvia officinalis group was lower than that of the control group. The mean score of nausea was not different between abdominal massage and control groups. One week after the intervention, the mean score of nausea was not different among the three groups. In addition, the frequency of vomiting was not different among the three groups. CONCLUSION: Abdominal massage with/without Salvia officinalis as a complementary medicine has not considerable effect on reducing nausea and vomiting in patient with cancer undergoing chemotherapy. More studies are needed to achieve better and more accurate results.