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The existential experiences of receiving soft tissue massage in palliative home care—an intervention

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Abstract

Background

Soft tissue massage is currently used in palliative care for the relief of anxiety and pain. Only few studies have focused on patients’ deeper experience of receiving the massage.

Aim

The purpose of this study was to explore how patients with cancer in palliative home care experienced soft tissue massage.

Materials and methods

Twenty-two patients received soft tissue massage (hand or foot) nine times over a period of 2 weeks. Each session lasted for 25 min. Following the last massage session, a qualitative interview was conducted. The analysis was performed using a hermeneutic approach.

Findings

Soft tissue massage generated feelings of existential respite with perceptions of being released from illness for a while. Two categories constituted the basis of the experiences: (1) “an experience of thoughtful attention” and (2) “a sensation of complete tranquility” resulting in the overarching theme “A time of existential respite.”

Conclusion

The patients experienced the massage to give meaning and to be important as it generated feelings of an inner respite.

Relevance to clinical practice

Soft tissue massage appears to be an appreciated source of support to dying patients in palliative home care. The method is easy to comprehend and relatively short (25 min) which may imply that it is a suitable complement in nursing care for this patient group.

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Acknowledgments

We thank The Vårdal Institute, Gunnar Nilsson Foundation, The Swedish Cancer Society, and Stockholm County Council and Stockholms Sjukhem Foundation for financial support. Special thanks to Eddie Edwinsson.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Oncology–Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

    Berit Seiger Cronfalk & Peter Strang

  2. Department of Palliative Care Research, Ersta Sköndal University College, Stockholm, Sweden

    Britt-Marie Ternestedt

  3. Department of Social & Welfare Studies, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden

    Maria Friedrichsen

  4. The Swedish Institute for Health Sciences, The Vårdal Institute, Lund, Sweden

    Berit Seiger Cronfalk

  5. Research and Development Department, Stockholms Sjukhem Foundation, Mariebergsgatan 22, 112 35, Stockholm, Sweden

    Berit Seiger Cronfalk, Peter Strang & Maria Friedrichsen

  6. Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

    Britt-Marie Ternestedt

  7. Palliative Education and Research Centre in The County of Östergötland, Vrinnevi Hospital, Norrköping, Sweden

    Maria Friedrichsen

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  1. Berit Seiger Cronfalk
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Correspondence to Berit Seiger Cronfalk.

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Cronfalk, B.S., Strang, P., Ternestedt, BM. et al. The existential experiences of receiving soft tissue massage in palliative home care—an intervention. Support Care Cancer 17, 1203–1211 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-008-0575-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-008-0575-1

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