اثربخشی آرام‌سازی پیش‌روندهٔ عضلانی بر خستگی زنان مبتلا به سرطان پستان

زمینه و هدف: خستگی ناشی‌از سرطان یکی از شایع‌ترین و ناراحت کننده‌ترین نشانگان در بیماران مبتلا به سرطان است. ﻫﺪف از اﻳﻦ ﭘﮋوﻫﺶ ﺑﺮرسی اثربخشی آرام‌سازی پیشروندهٔ عضلانی بر خستگی در زنان مبتلا به سرطان پستان بود. روش‌بررسی: در این پژوهش از طرح نیمه‌آزمایشی از نوع پیش‌آزمون-پس‌آزمون با گروه گواه استفاده شد. از بین تمامی زنان مبتلا به سرطان پستان شهر تهران در سال 1397، تعداد 28 بیمار به‌صورت دردسترس انتخاب شدند. سپس به‌طور تصادفی در دو گروه آزمایش و گواه (هر گروه 14 نفر) قرار گرفتند. گروه آزمایش پس از سه جلسهٔ آموزشی، طی هشت جلسهٔ 30دقیقه‌ای تحت آرام‌سازی پیش‌روندهٔ عضلانی قرار گرفت؛ اما گروه گواه هیچ مداخله‌ای دریافت نکرد. ابزار پژوهش پرسشنامهٔ سنجش چندبعدی خستگی (اسمتس و همکاران، 1995) بود. تمامی اطلاعات در سطح معناداری 0٫01 و با استفاده از نرم‌افزار spss نسخهٔ 25 و آزمون کوواریانس چندمتغیری تجزیه‌وتحلیل شد.یافته‌ها: یافته‌ها نشان داد، میانگین خستگی گروه آزمایش از 5٫225±79٫93 به 6٫183±50٫93 کاهش پیدا کرد. تحلیل کوواریانس مشخص کرد که پس از حذف اثر پیش‌آزمون، میانگین نمرات پس‌آزمون دو گروه تفاوت آماری معناداری دارد (0٫001>p). مجذور اتاهای به‌دست‌آمده نشان داد که به‌ترتیب 80، 67، 68 و 64درصد کاهش در مولفه‌های خستگی عمومی، جسمی، فعالیت و ذهنی آزمودنی‌های شرکت‌کننده در گروه آزمایش ناشی‌از روش آرام‌سازی پیش‌روندهٔ عضلانی است. نتیجه‌گیری: براساس یافته‌های این پژوهش می‌توان گفت که آرام‌سازی پیش‌روندهٔ عضلانی روش موثری در کاهش خستگی در زنان مبتلا به سرطان پستان است.

Effects of Progressive Muscle Relaxation on Fatigue in Women With Breast Cancer

Background & Objectives: Cancer–Related Fatigue (CRF) is among the most frequent and disturbing symptoms in patients with cancer, regardless of the type of tumor and treatment they receive. CRF has not only been described as a physical symptom, but also as a multidimensional structure consisting of physical, cognitive, and emotional dimensions related to cancer or its treatment. Such fatigue is disproportionate to recent activity and interferes with the patient’s normal functioning. A technique studied in the treatment of chronic diseases is Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR). PMR technique is a complementary therapy that refers to the simple practice of tensing or tightening one muscle group at a time, followed by a relaxation phase with the release of the tension. Such measures cause a sense of calm in individuals. The current study aimed to investigate the effects of PMR on fatigue in women with breast cancer.Methods: This was a quasi–experimental study with a pretest–posttest and a control group design. The statistical population of this study included all women with breast cancer treated in Tehran City, Iran, in 2019. Following announcements in Tehran hospitals, 28 patients with breast cancer were selected using a convenience sampling method. After obtaining informed consent forms, the study subjects were randomly divided into the experimental and control groups (n=14/group). The study inclusion criteria were receiving a diagnosis of breast cancer by an oncologist; being aged between 30 and 50 years (the most prevalent age group of breast cancer in Iran); literacy (for reading PMR training booklet), and willingness to attend meetings. The study exclusion criterion was not attending more than one session of intervention. The Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI) (Smets et al., 1995) was used for data collection. In the PMR group, the exercises were performed in a comfortable and relaxed environment. The first three intervention sessions were designed to familiarize patients with the technique; in the first session, the MFI was completed as a pretest. Then, 8 intervention sessions were provided to the test group for 4 weeks (twice a week) for 30 minutes with the researcher present. After the exercises, time was devoted to discussing the group members’ experience of the exercises. At the end of the sessions, the experimental group performed a posttest. To describe the obtained data, we used mean and standard deviation. According to the study design, data analysis was conducted by Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) in SPSS.Results: The present research results indicated that the mean±SD score of fatigue in the experimental group decreased from 79.93±5.225 at the pretest to 50.93±6.183 at the posttest. The MANCOVA results suggested that after eliminating the effect of the pretest, the mean scores of the posttest, in the components of general, physical, activity, and mental fatigue were significantly different between the study groups (p<0.001). The Eta–Squared data revealed 80%, 67%, 68%, 64% decrease in the components of general, physical, activity, and mental fatigue in the experimental group, respectively, i.e., due to PMR.Conclusion: Based on the present study findings, PMR was effective in reducing fatigue among women with breast cancer. Therefore, at different stages of treatment or after the treatment, such training could help to improve the psychological wellbeing and quality of life in patients with breast cancer. PMR could also improve the affected patients’ ability to adapt to their conditions.