Résumé
Cerebrovascular accidents [CVA or strokes] are the third leading cause of death after myocardial infarction and cancer in western countries, most of which result from emboli or thrombosis. In addition to mortality, they lead to lifelong inability manifested by various ambulatory, physical, verbal, visual, memory, and disorders. Along with routine supportive interventions at hospitals to reduce these problems, complementary therapies such as massage as one of the most important interventions are also applicable. The goal of this study was to determine the effects of massage therapy on systolic and diastolic blood pressures in patients with CVA in 2005. In this quasi-experimental study with 2 groups, a prospective design at 2 stages was used. Subjects included 50 patients with CVA at neurology unit of Shariati Hospital in Isfahan, selected by convenience sampling method and randomly divided into 2 equal experimental and control groups. Inclusion criteria were confirmed diagnosis of CVA, ability to speak complete consciousness, hospital stay at least for 1 week and desire to take part in the study. In the experimental group, massage technique was instructed to their attendants and after confirmation of its correctness, they performed it 7 times a day. Blood pressure of the subjects was measured before and after each massage. No specific intervention was performed in the control group except routine procedures. Data were collected by standard stethoscope and sphygmomanometer and compared in the two groups at the end. Paired t-test showed a significant decrease in the blood pressure of the massage group while the pressure significantly increased in the control group [P<0.05]. The results showed a decreasing effect of massage on blood pressure of CVA patients. Therefore, this therapy can be recommended as a complementary method along with routine treatments for better recovery and welfare of these patients