The Effect of Reflexology and Knee Massage With Black Cumin Oil on Pain and Fatigue

Osteoarthritis (OA) is an insidiously progressive disease that causes structural destruction in the joints, cartilage tissue and subchondrial bone, inflammation in the synovial tissue and consequently osteophyte formations; It is an irreversible, degenerative joint disease.Its incidence increases with age and it is the second most common disease in 50% of individuals over the age of 65.It is also the most common cause of chronic pain, fatigue, functional disability, physical disability and limitation in individuals in this age group.The primary complaint of patients with knee OA is pain. Pain is usually; It is seen in intraarticular and periarticular regions. Pain is initially intermittent, mild, and limited to the joint area. In the later stages of the disease, the pain is deep, aching and intense.Although patients experience difficulty in their daily living activities due to pain, the main reason why they cannot perform their activities is pain-related fatigue. Although there is no evidence level method to modify the deformations that occur in the joint structure in OA, various treatment methods are available. The primary goal of treatment in individuals with knee OA is to reduce pain, relieve fatigue, prevent deformations and maintain the patients' independence. There are important clinical guidelines for these goals. According to the guidelines in the treatment of osteoarthritis; Classified in 5 Categories: Pharmacological Treatments, Non-Pharmacological Treatments, Intra-artricular Treatments, Surgical Treatments and Complementary and Integrated Treatments (CAM). According to literature reviews, the most frequently used methods by OA patients include aromatherapy, massage and reflexology, and massages generally include black cumin, olive oil, lavender, rosemary, ginger, etc. It is observed that the oils are applied by rubbing them into the knee and these applications reduce pain and fatigue.Black Cumin; The most important active ingredient is thymoquinone (TQ). Thymoquinone is an important component due to its effect on reducing joint inflammation and rheumatic pain, and this feature makes this oil preferred in aromatherapy.Massage; It is defined as a manual work that helps symptom management and control by creating external rhythmic and impulsive pressure on the soft tissues in the body in order to maintain the health of the body and to support healing in case of disease, especially by helping the circulatory system.Reflexology; projection of glands and organs in the body; It corresponds to reflex points on the hands, feet and ears. It is defined as an application aimed at ensuring that body activities are at an optimum level by stimulating these specific points with unique manipulative techniques through the hands. Ease of application of OA patients in addition to standard treatment It will be beneficial for patients to know and use aromatherapy, massage and reflexology methods that will not cause difficulties in terms of accessing and accessing materials.

Inclusion criteria

• diagnosed with knee OA
• Staged according to Kellgren-Lawrence Gonarthrosis staging and Stage 2 and above
• Open to communication and without cognitive problems
• Those aged 65 and over
• Not allergic to the essential oil used
• Those who have no open wounds on their knees or feet and have not undergone any surgery
• VAS- Pain and Fatigue Severity score of 4 and above
• Mini Mental Test (MMT) score >25
• People who agreed to participate in the research were included in the study.

Exclusion criteria

• not meeting the inclusion criteria
• Patients who did not agree to participate in the study were not included in the study