Application Of Back Massage In Reducing Pain In Elderly With Hypertension: A Case Study

Abstract

High blood pressure is a major cardiovascular disease risk factor that occurs with age. Most elderly patients suffer from isolated systolic hypertension resulting from changes in the arterial wall that cause arterial stiffness. One of the problems that arise due to increased blood pressure is pain. Pain is felt in the head and radiates to the shoulder. Head pain can be overcome by providing non-pharmacological therapy, one of which is back massage. The aim of this study was to overcome pain in the elderly suffering from hypertension. This study used a case study method, the subjects in this study were 2 elderly people suffering from hypertension with acute pain problems. The results of this study are after three days of nursing care with the provision of back massage therapy in both patients showed acute pain associated with biological injurious agents resolved with indicators of pain descending scale, activity ability to be moderately increased, complaints of pain decreased, grimacing moderately decreased, difficulty moderately decreased, blood pressure moderately improved.  The conclusion obtained from the results in this study is that back massage therapy can lower blood pressure and reduce pain.