Effects of Abdominal Meridian Massage with Aroma Oils on Relief of Constipation in Institutionalized Children with Cerebral Palsy

향 요법 복부 경락마사지가 뇌성마비 아동의 변비완화에 미치는 효과

Purpose: To evaluate the effects of abdominal meridian massage either with the use of aroma oils or without using the oils for the relief of constipation in institutionalized children with cerebral palsy. Method: Using a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design, 40 children were randomly assigned to experimental (n=21) and control (n=19) groups. The experimental group received abdominal meridian massage with mixture of aroma oils, and the control group received abdominal meridian massage only. Prior to the intervention, baseline data were collected, and then abdominal meridian massage with or without aroma oils were given to both groups every morning for 15 minutes a day, six days a week, for 2 weeks. Outcome measures were number of bowel movements, amount of stool (gm), and frequency of laxatives, suppositories or enema. Using SPSS/Win 12.0 program, data were analyzed by $X^2$ test, t-test, and repeated measures ANOVA. Results: Children in the experimental group defecated a larger volume of stool, and used fewer laxatives than those in the control group. The treatment effects lasted for 1 week after treatment. Conclusion: Abdominal meridian massage with aroma oils appears to be an effective adjunct maneuver in relieving constipation among institutionalized children with cerebral palsy.