Effect of Benson Relaxation Technique on Pain, Vital Signs, Sleep Quality and Anxiety Among Patients After Spinal Surgery

Abstract

Background: Pain, hemodynamic instability, anxiety, and sleep disturbances are the most postoperative complaints after spinal surgery. Benson’s relaxation technique (BRT) is one of the non-pharmacological strategies supposed to reduce postoperative complaints after spine surgery. Aim of the study: this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of BRT on pain intensity, vital signs, sleep quality and anxiety among patients after spinal surgery. Design: A quasi-experimental research design was used to achieve the aim of the study. Setting: This study was conducted at Neurosurgical departments at Ain Shams University Hospital. Subjects: a purposive sample of 60 adult patients. They were assigned into two equal groups (study and control groups) (thirty subjects in each group). Tools: Tool I: Patients interviewing questionnaire included: demographic data for patients, Patient medical clinical data, and Pain numerical rating scale. Tool II: vital signs assessment record, Tool III: Beck Anxiety Inventory and Tool IV: Groningen Sleep Quality Scale. Results: There was statistically significant effect of BRT on reducing pain intensity, vital signs mean values, anxiety level and improving sleep quality among patients after spinal surgery at p at p <0.05. Conclusion: the Benson relaxation technique after spinal surgery has a positive statistically significant effect on improvement of intensity of pain, reduction of vital signs mean values, severity of anxiety and quality of sleep among the study group who applied BRT as compared to control group which support study hypothesis. Recommendations: this study recommended that nurses should incorporate BRT in postoperative nursing care for patients with spinal surgery.