The Effect of Using Hand Massage Stimulation Techniques on Pain and Comfort in Pregnant Women Experiencing Lumbar Pain

The aim of this study is to determine the effects of hand massage stimulation techniques applied to pregnant women with low back pain on pain and comfort.

Data will be collected from pregnant women who apply to the NST polyclinic in the gynecology and obstetrics clinic of the Adıyaman Gölbaşı State Hospital and complain of back pain. Participants who meet the inclusion criteria and agree to participate will be informed about the study and participants who fill out the "Minimum Informed Consent Form" will be included in the study. Data collection forms will be applied by the researcher, paying attention to patient privacy, and the pre-test data collection phase will be completed. After the pre-test data collection phase is completed, hand stimulation techniques (su-jok seed therapy) will be applied to the pregnant women in the experimental group by the researcher. Pregnant women will be invited to the pregnancy education class in the relevant hospital and detailed information will be given about the application, and pain points will be determined according to the reflections of the organs on the hand. Buckwheat seeds, one of the seeds used for back pain, will be fixed on the detected points and the fixed seed will be removed after 5-6 hours. This application will be done in 1 session and the post-test will be applied 15 minutes after the seed is removed. This intervention will be implemented by Esra Tan and the researcher has a basic level su jok therapy certificate. No intervention will be applied to the pregnant women in the control group, however, the Personal Information Form, Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Prenatal Comfort Scale and Oswestry Disability Index will be applied simultaneously with the experimental group.

Inclusion criteria

• Pregnant women who are over 18 years old,
• Able to read and write,
• Have back pain severity of 45 mm and above according to Visual Analogue Scale (VAS),
• Aren't experiencing risky pregnancies,
• Do not have any psychiatric disorders,
• Have a gestational age of 32 weeks or above,
• Do not react negatively to any interventions such as massage,
• Have healthy and complete tissue integrity in the area where the massage will be performed will be included in the sample.

Exclusion criteria

• Pregnant women with acute or chronic diseases, traumas, or surgical history related to the musculoskeletal or nervous system,
• Those who have gynecological or urological problems that cause pain during pregnancy (premature birth, pyelonephritis, etc.),
• Those who use analgesics during pregnancy,
• Those who have difficulty communicating and mentally ill,
• Those who have a condition that may prevent written or verbal communication,
• Those who have maternal and fetal complications in their current pregnancy will not be included in the study.