Slow stroke back massage for treating headache in patient with hypertension

Abstract

Hypertension is a chronic medical condition characterized by a persistent and abnormal elevation in blood pressure across multiple clinical measurements. It is formally diagnosed when systolic blood pressure is 140 mmHg and diastolic pressure is 90 mmHg. Globally, hypertension affects over one billion people and serves as a primary risk factor for stroke, myocardial infarction, and heart failure. Patients frequently present with cephalgia (headache) and a sensation of "heaviness" in the nuchal region (nape of the neck), often resulting from vascular tension or impaired cerebral blood flow. In clinical cases of hypertension, the prioritized nursing diagnosis is typically Acute Pain, manifested as severe headaches. While pharmacological treatments are standard, non-pharmacological interventions are vital for holistic pain management. One such effective intervention is Slow Stroke Back Massage (SSBM) therapy. SSBM is a non-invasive nursing action characterized by rhythmic, slow-speed stroking of the back, which promotes systemic relaxation and reduces pain intensity without adverse side effects. The objective of this study was to evaluate the implementation of SSBM in alleviating acute headaches in a hypertensive patient. The intervention was conducted across three home-visit sessions. Following the sessions, a comprehensive evaluation was performed to measure the efficacy of the therapy. The results demonstrated that Slow Stroke Back Massage significantly helped overcome the patient's headache, suggesting that this technique is a viable, low-cost complementary therapy for managing hypertensive symptoms in a community or home-care setting.

Keywords: Complementary therapy, headaches, hypertension, slow stroke back massage, symptom management