Effectiveness of Effleurage Back Massage in Reducing Back Pain among Orthopedic Patients: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Abstract Background: Back pain remains a prevalent and significant health issue, adversely impacting quality of life and productivity globally. Effective management, particularly through non-pharmacological interventions, is essential for enhancing patient outcomes and well-being. Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of effleurage back massage in reducing back pain among orthopedic patients and to find out the associations between the level of pain and selected demographic variables. Methods: A quasi-experimental two-group pre-test–post-test design was adopted. The study included 60 orthopedic patients aged 20–60 years, selected through convenience sampling and equally divided into experimental (n=30) and control (n=30) groups. The experimental group received effleurage back massage sessions lasting 20 minutes daily for five consecutive days, while the control group received no intervention. Pain levels were assessed using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) before and after the intervention. Associations between pain levels and demographic variables such as age, sex, education, and occupation were analyzed using chi-square tests. Results: The mean pain score significantly reduced in the experimental group from 3.40±0.98 to 1.03±0.17 post-intervention (p<0.05). In contrast, the control group showed minimal change (3.43±1.31 to 3.36±1.37, p>0.05). Chi-square analysis indicated no significant associations between the level of back pain and demographic variables including age, sex, educational status, and occupation. Conclusion: Effleurage back massage effectively reduces back pain in orthopedic patients, providing significant pain relief as a safe and non-pharmacological intervention. Despite its effectiveness, pain levels showed no significant association with demographic variables, highlighting its universal applicability irrespective of patient characteristics. Effleurage massage thus represents a valuable complementary therapy in clinical practice.