Cronfalk, B.S., Ternestedt, B., & Strang, P. (2010). Soft tissue massage: Early intervention for relatives whose family members died in palliative cancer care. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 19, 1040–1048.
To explore how bereaved relatives experienced early intervention with soft tissue massage during the first four months since the death of a family member who received palliative cancer care
Study data resulted from two interactions with Swedish-speaking relatives of deceased patients with cancer who had received care in a large palliative care unit. Demographic and baseline data were collected in an initial 60-minute visit to the relative. Hand or foot soft tissue massage, which is defined as a gentle but firm movement of the skin that activates touch receptors, was done in slow strokes, light pressure, and circling movement using lightly scented vegetable oil.
One week after an eight-week intervention involving either protocol-driven or relative election of either hand or foot soft tissue massage, the first author audiotaped hour-long interviews with the 18 study participants. Open-ended interviews focused on the experience of receiving the massages via a dialectical validation approach to ensure understanding of relatives’ experience. The authors supported trustworthiness and qualitative credibility factors during interviews and data analysis processes based on interview transcriptions and close attention text. An additional follow-up telephone call six to eight months after the interview was intended to encourage participants to reflect on their current life situation in relation to the grieving process.
A prospective, descriptive, qualitative design was used.
A qualitative content analysis allowed various levels of interpretation and abstraction to support one predominant theme: Bereaved relatives felt “feelings of consolation and help in learning to restructure everyday life.” The theme derived from four categories: (a) a helping hand at the right time, (b) something to rely on, (c) moments of rest, and (d) moments of retaining energy. Overall, soft tissue massage supported relatives’ need for comfort, as well as hope during a difficult transition time for relatives who sought a balance of grieving and moving on with their lives after the death of a loved one. No analysis of the follow-up telephone conversations appeared in the article.
Early interventions for relatives who grieve the loss of a family member’s death, including sequential soft tissue hand or foot massage, may facilitate relatives’ feelings of belonging, human connection to healthcare staff who cared for their family member before death, sense of self, and energy to structure life after a family member’s death. Too often, delayed interventions cause unnecessary worry and suffering of bereaving relatives. The offering of soft tissue massage to those relatives at a desired time may constitute a cost-effective way to support bereaved relatives early in their grieving process.
Early support, including that inherent in the delivery of soft tissue massage, to grieving relatives of a family member who died from cancer or other chronic illnesses, offers a cost-effective intervention that may improve the health of those relatives. This intervention needs further testing to determine its efficacy but does highlight the importance of grieving relatives reconnecting with the healthcare professional, physical touch, and getting needed support. Further research with diverse populations in other global communities may extend understanding and acceptance of this potentially future intervention to add quality-of-life care to relatives and other family members. Testing of a soft tissue massage intervention could support evidence for the effectiveness of this intervention and nurses’ referral of caregivers to this intervention for improved quality of life.