The Effect of Swedish Massage on Relieving Fatigue of Children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Undergoing Chemotherapy

Background: Fatigue is the most annoying side effect of cancer treatment in children who experience it from the time of diagnosis till conclusion of therapy. About 75% to 90% of children undergoing chemotherapy suffer from this complication. To relieve this problem, massage therapy is recommended which is the most widely applied adjuvant therapy. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of Swedish massage on fatigue relieve in children aged 7-12 years suffering from acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) who are undergoing chemotherapy at the Children’s Medical Center of Tehran, Iran. Methods: In this clinical trial, 50 children with ALL undergoing chemotherapy were assigned into 2 groups of intervention and control. First, the severity of fatigue in both groups was measured employing a child fatigue scale questionnaire. Then, in the intervention group, the Swedish massage with the effleurage technique was applied by the child’s mother daily for 4 weeks. The fatigue in both groups was measured at the end of each week. The obtained data were analyzed, using descriptive and inferential statistics (repeated measures analysis). Results: Indicated a significant difference in total score of quality of life and the mean score of fatigue between two groups after intervention (P<0.001). The mean score of fatigue intensity and total score of quality of life, had significant decrease in experimental group than control group after intervention. Conclusion: Considering the results of this study, applying the Swedish massage by the mother as a supplemental and non-invasive intervention can be effective in reducing fatigue in children suffering from ALL who are undergoing chemotherapy.