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Effect of stress ball use on cannulation-related invasive pain in Hemodialysis patients: a randomized controlled,
Betül Tosun1, Soner Berşe2, Ezgi Dirgar3
1Faculty of Nursing, Department of Fundamentals of Nursing, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey.
Insights
Stress balls effectively reduce pain during hemodialysis cannulation. This non-pharmacological method shows increasing effectiveness over multiple sessions, offering a simple pain management solution.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Pain Management
- Psychosomatic Medicine
Background:
- Non-pharmacological pain management strategies are crucial for patient comfort.
- Stress balls offer a potential method for pain and anxiety reduction through distraction.
- Cannulation pain is a significant concern for hemodialysis patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of stress ball use in mitigating pain during the cannulation procedure.
- To assess the impact of stress balls on pain levels in hemodialysis patients.
Main Methods:
- A single-blind, randomized controlled trial involving 64 hemodialysis patients.
- Participants were allocated to either a stress ball intervention group or a control group receiving routine care.
- Pain was measured using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) over 12 cannulation sessions.
Main Results:
- The stress ball group reported significantly lower median VAS pain scores compared to the control group.
- A significant reduction in VAS scores was observed in the intervention group over 12 sessions.
- The pain-reducing effect of stress balls demonstrated a cumulative increase with repeated use.
Conclusions:
- Stress ball intervention is an effective method for reducing cannulation-related pain in hemodialysis patients.
- The effectiveness of stress balls in pain management increases with repeated application.
- Nurses can utilize stress balls as a practical, cost-effective, and non-pharmacological approach to manage patient pain.
Background:
Stress ball usage is one of the non-pharmacological methods that help reduce pain and anxiety by diverting an individual's attention elsewhere.
Purpose:
This study evaluates the impact of stress ball use on pain levels during cannulation in hemodialysis patients.
Methods:
A single-blind, randomized, controlled design was used. Sixty-four participants were divided into experimental (n = 32) and control groups (n = 32). The experimental group used a stress ball for 3 min before and during cannulation, while the control group received routine care without additional intervention. Pain was assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) after cannulation across 12 sessions. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.
Results:
The median VAS score in the intervention group was significantly lower than in the control group. The intervention group showed a significant decrease in VAS scores over 12 sessions (p < 0.01). Stress ball usage had an increasing effect over time (p = 0.016). Overall, median VAS scores differed significantly between groups (p < 0.01).
Conclusion:
Using stress balls during cannulation reduces pain intensity in hemodialysis patients, with increased effectiveness over multiple sessions. Nurses can recommend stress balls as a simple and cost-effective pain management method.
Trial Registration:
This study was retrospectively registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (Registration No: NCT06237738) on 2024-01-12.
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