Effectiveness of Progressive Muscle Relaxation Therapy (PMR) on Health Status among Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy Treatment

Introduction: Cancer is known to be a multi facet, chronic and difficult disease affects individual and their families both physically and emotionally. With advance cancer treatment strategies it is still considered dangerous disease with enormous pain, suffering and even death. There are several distinct categories of interventions have been employed for cancer patients such as education, support, psychotherapy and complementary therapies. The psychosocial interventions provide positive effect on cancer symptoms and quality of life. Thus the present communication was carried out to assess the effectiveness of Progressive Muscle Relaxation therapy (PMR) on health status among cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. Materials and Methods: It's a quasi experimental study, where pre test post test design was used among 30 purposively selected cancer patients receiving initial course of chemotherapy, and admitted at Pravara Rural Hospital. Cancer patients above 18 years of age, able to follow PMR therapy and willing to participate were enrolled in the study. Structured interview schedule was used to assess the study variables. The data were analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics wherever required. Results: The results revealed that the overall post intervention physical health status mean score (12.43±9.89) which is lower than the pre test score, and found statistically significant (t=5.96) at p<0.05 level. Similarly the overall post test psychological health status mean score (67.50±15.86) which is significantly (t=14.7) lower than the pre test score. These findings highlights that the PMR therapy had significant effect in minimizing physical and psychological health problems of cancer patients. A significant association was found between nausea and vomiting with gender; and emotional instability with age at p<0.05 level. Conclusion: The PMR therapy was found to be effective to improve the physical and psychological health status of cancer patients receiving initial course of chemotherapy. It should be emphasized that training and use of PMR by cancer patients improve their awareness and practice of PMR therapy which leads to reduction in the severity of side effects, and improvement of quality of life.