Randomised controlled trial of the effectiveness of using back massage to improve sleep quality among Taiwanese insomnia postpartumwomen

Objectiveto examine the effectiveness of using back massage to improve sleep quality in postpartum women.Design and settingrandomised controlled trial, conducted at a postpartum centre in Northern Taiwan.Participantssixty postpartum women reporting poor quality of sleep were recruited from February 2012 to May2012.Interventionsparticipants were assigned randomly to either an intervention or a control group. Participants in both groups received the same care except for back massage therapy. The intervention group received a single 20-minutes back massage session at the same time each evening for 5consecutive days. Sessions were administered by a certified massage therapist.Measures and findingthe outcome measure was the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), which was administered pre- and post-test. Using a generalised estimation equation to control several confounding variables, the changes in mean PSQI were significantly lower in the intervention group (B=−3.97, standard error=0.43, p<0.001) than in the controlgroup.Conclusionsan intervention involving back massage in the postnatal period significantly improved the quality ofsleep.Implications for practicemidwives should evaluate maternal sleep quality and design early intervention programs to improve the quality of sleep, to increase maternal health. Midwives interested in complementary therapies should be encouraged to obtain training in back massage and to apply it in postpartumcare.