The Effect of Non-Pharmacological Self-Care Training on Pain Control in Cesarean Section Surgery

Background & objectives: Women undergoing cesarean section may have some difficulty in self-care and also the care of their baby due to post-operative pain. Therefore, the present study was conducted to determine the effect of non-pharmacological self-care training methods on pain management in women undergoing cesarean section. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was performed on 72 women candidates for cesarean section at Shohaday-e Sarpol-e Zahab hospital. Samples were selected by available sampling method and randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups. In the 37th week of pregnancy, the test group was presented with a self-care pain control training booklet and its content was also taught by researcher in a 45-60-minute face-to-face session until full learning. The control group received the usual methods. The severity of pain in first 24 hours after surgery was assessed using a visual acuity scale (VAS) in both groups. The test group was then asked to perform self-care exercises. On the ninth day after surgery, the severity of the pain was re-evaluated in both groups. Data analysis was performed using independent t-test, paired t-test, chi-square and statistical indicators in SPSS software version 20. Results: The results showed that the mean pain severity scores were 5.19±1.69 in experimental group and 4.19±1.20 in control group (p=0.005). Also, the mean pain severity scores, nine days after cesarean section, were 0.92±0.97 in the experimental group and 2.59±1.34 in control group which showed a statistically significant difference between two groups (p<0.001). Pain severity was lower in the experimental group than in control group. Conclusion: According to the findings, non-pharmacological self-care methods for pain management have been effective in reducing pain after cesarean section. Therefore, it is recommended that nurses consider these safe, non-invasive, cost-effective self-care techniques along with medication.