Effectiveness of Foot Massage in Reduction of Blood Pressure among Hypertensive Patients

Abstract

Hypertension is one of the major hereditary diseases. It is often called a silent killer disease, and it can lead to major health problems like heart attack and stroke. Globally 1 in every 3 adults has hypertension. Hypertension indirectly contributes to almost 10 million deaths worldwide every year. Hypertension can result from various factors, including genetics, lifestyle choices, and underlying health conditions. It is essential to manage and control high blood pressure through lifestyle modifications, medication, or a combination of both to reduce the risk of complications and maintain overall cardiovascular health. Study objectives: 1. to assess the blood pressure of hypertensive patients among the experimental group and control group before foot massage. 2. To apply foot massage to hypertensive patients in the experimental group. 3. To reassess the effectiveness of foot massage on the level of blood pressure among hypertensive patients in the experimental group. 4. To compare the level of blood pressure among hypertensive patients between an experimental group and a control group. 5. To find out the association between the demographic variables with foot massage among hypertensive patients in the experimental group. Methodology: The purpose of this interventional study was to determine whether foot massage could reduce blood pressure in hypertensive patients. The study used a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design with control groups. In a non-probability convenience sample of 50 hypertensive patients, 25 were assigned to the experimental group and 25 to the control group. In the intervention group, a foot massage was applied, and spigmomonometers were used to measure blood pressure before and after the foot massage. Results: The study enrolled 50 samples. The values were analyzed using inferential statistics and descriptive statistics. In the experimental group, the calculated value (15.42) was higher than the table value, indicating that foot massage significant effect on blood pressure among hypertensive patients. Conclusion: Patients with hypertension show significant reductions in blood pressure as a result of the intervention. In the experimental group, the post-test blood pressure level was lower.