Mohammad Fathi
Shahid Beheshti Medical University, Ir
Posters & Accepted Abstracts: Gen Med (Los Angeles)
Background: Pain is one the most common symptoms in different types of cancer which can interfere with patient�??s quality of life. Although there are many medicines and methods available to control cancer pain, the use of complementary and non-drug techniques such as touch therapy has been growing. This study is aimed at critically evaluating the clinical impacts, safety and side effects of touch therapy as a supportive method for pain relief in patients with cancer. Methods: Electronic databases of CINAHL, Google Scholar, PubMed, Elsevier and Ovid were searched from 1998 to 2013. According to our keywords 503 relevant studies were found. Additionally, among 12 related articles, 6 clinical trials, semiexperimental, case-control and cohort studies were selected and examined in accordance with the objectives of this study. Results: The number of 2 clinical trials, 1 semi-experimental, 2-cohort and 1 case control study was found on the basis of 413 patients with cancer. No study reported important side effects of touch therapy. Conclusions: Based on the results, touch therapy can be used as a non-invasive intervention to control pain in patients with cancer. Generally, this technique can be a safe method in pain management of patients with cancer.
