• Nilofar Pasyar, Masoume Rambod, and Fateme Rezaee Kahkhaee.
• Community Based Psychiatric Care Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
• J Orthop Trauma. 2018 Dec 1; 32 (12): e482-e486.

ObjectiveTo determine the effect of massage therapy on pain intensity and anxiety in patients who have undergone tibial shaft fracture surgery.DesignThis study was a randomized clinical trial with a pre-post design. As the study included 2 treatment groups, it was a parallel study.SettingKhatam-Al-Anbia Hospital in Zahedan, Iran, between July and August 2017.PatientsIn all, 66 patients who underwent a tibial shaft fracture surgery were enrolled and randomly assigned to intervention and control groups (33 patients each).InterventionThe intervention included a 10-minute foot massage (5 minutes per leg) using sweet almond oil, the most common lubricant used in massage therapy.Main Outcome MeasurementsData were collected using pain numeric rating scale and Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory before and after intervention.ResultsAfter intervention, the mean scores for pain intensity, and anxiety in the intervention and control groups were 4.72 (0.97) and 5.72 (0.91), and 42.84 (6.50) and 58.36 (10.37), respectively. A significant difference was noted between the intervention and control groups concerning pain intensity and anxiety.ConclusionsThe results indicated that massage therapy reduced pain intensity and anxiety in patients who underwent tibial shaft fracture surgery. Therefore, using massage as a noninvasive and acceptable intervention is suggested in orthopaedic surgery, especially after tibial shaft fracture surgeries.Level Of EvidenceTherapeutic Level I. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

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