Efficacy of Percussion Massage Therapy Applied to the Lower Extremity on Pain, Edema in Pregnant Women

Aim: This study aim is to examine the effect of percussion massage therapy applied to lower extremity on pain, edema, fatigue and quality of life in pregnant women. Methods: Sixty pregnant women between 24 and 36 weeks of pregnancy were included in the study. Pregnant women were randomly divided into two groups: The percussion massage treatment (PMT) group and the control group. Pregnant women included in the PMT group received a total of 10 sessions of percussion massage therapy, applied to their bilateral medial gastrocnemius, lateral gastrocnemius, peronus longus and tibialis anterior muscles three times a week. No massage therapy was applied to the lower extremities of the pregnant women in the control group. Pain assessment with Visual analog scale (VAS), ankle, knee, and thigh circumference measurements with tape measure, fatigue level with Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), and quality of life assessment with Short Form- 36 (SF-36) were conducted.