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Effects of pre‐operative relaxation on post‐operative analgesia: Immediate increase and delayed reduction
Author(s) -
Manyande Anne,
Salmon Peter
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
british journal of health psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.05
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 2044-8287
pISSN - 1359-107X
DOI - 10.1111/j.2044-8287.1998.tb00568.x
Subject(s) - convalescence , analgesic , medicine , anesthesia , relaxation (psychology) , surgery
Objectives . Pre‐operative relaxation has been reported to reduce pain complaints and analgesic requirement during convalescence on the surgical ward. These are questionable indices of recovery because the nurse‐patient relationship constrains patients' readiness to complain of pain. Analgesic requirement immediately postoperatively, before the patient returns to the ward, is more likely to reflect patients' pain state. Design . A randomized comparison of effects of relaxation instructions on analgesic use immediately post‐operatively and subsequently, using background information about the hospital as a control procedure. Methods . Patients ( N =118) were randomly allocated to receive audiotaped relaxation instructions or a control tape before abdominal surgery. Analgesic usage was monitored during surgery, immediately after surgery (in the recovery room) and following return to the surgical ward. In addition, self‐report measures were used during recovery on the surgical ward. Results . Relaxation reduced pain complaints and analgesic usage on the surgical ward by comparison with the information group, but led to increased analgesic administration by theatre staff immediately post‐operatively. Conclusion . We suggest that effects on the surgical ward may have resulted from reduced willingness to complain of pain in the relaxed group and that, immediately post‐operatively, an increase in pain in this group may have resulted from an effect of relaxation to impair pre‐operative mental preparation. The results show the inherent ambiguity of analgesic use as an indicator of recovery.