COMPARISON OF EFFECTS OF MASSAGE THERAPY ALONE AND IN COMBINATION WITH GREEN COCONUT WATER THERAPY ON B-ENDORPHIN LEVEL IN TEENAGE GIRLS WITH DYSMENORRHEA

Ulya FH, Suwandono A, Ariyanti I, Suwondo A, Kumorowulan S, Pujiastuti SE · Belitung Nursing Journal · 2017 August 31

Objective

To compare the effectiveness of effleurage massage and in combination with green coconut water on pain, anxiety, and ß-endorphin level in teenage girls with menstrual pain (dysmenorrhea).

Conclusions

The combination of effleurage massage and green coconut water had significant effect in decreasing anxiety and pain levels, and increasing β-endorphin levels in teenage girls with painful periods (dysmenorrhea); and more effective than performing effleurage massage only. It is suggested that this combination therapy could be used as an alternative therapy for women with dysmenorrhea.

Critical Appraisal

Published research can offer valuable insights, but a paper’s conclusions may go beyond what its results support. Critical appraisal examines the methods, findings and limitations to clarify what can reasonably be concluded—and what remains uncertain.

This article has not yet been critically appraised by the Research Hub.

Learn more about Critical Appraisal

Insights

Combining effleurage massage and green coconut water is more effective than massage alone in reducing menstrual pain and anxiety, and boosting ß-endorphin levels in teenage girls.

This research employed a quasi-experimental design, using pretest-posttest approach, with a control group. A total of 36 participants were recruited through purposive sampling, and divided into three groups: massage therapy, combination therapy (massage and green coconut water), and a control group. Levels of menstrual pain were gauged using the Numeric Rating Scale, while anxiety was measured via the Zung Self rating Anxiety Scale, and ß-endorphin levels were determined through the ELISA test. One-way ANOVA test and repeated ANOVA were applied for a bivariate analysis, while MANCOVA and post hoc ANOVA were utilised for the multivariate analysis. Discussion of the results revealed that the combination therapy of effleurage massage and green coconut water was more successful than massage therapy alone in combating the symptoms of dysmenorrhea. Specifically, the combination therapy was found to offer a superior reduction in pain and anxiety levels, plus a more noticeable increase in ß-endorphin levels. This suggests that these two methods, when combined, can offer significant benefits to women suffering from menstrual pain.