The effects of self-care education with effleurage massage of feet, hydrotherapy, and leg elevation on physiologic edema of feet in pregnant women: a randomized controlled clinical trial

Physiologic edema in the feet can cause discomfort such as pain, muscle cramps and fatigue in the feet when walking and as a result lack of movement and increased probability of thromboembolism in pregnant women. Many non-pharmaceutical methods have been used to improve physiologic edema in pregnancy. None of these methods have been studied in a self-care context. Therefore, the present study was performed with aim to determine and compare the effects of self-care education with effleurage massage, hydrotherapy, and leg elevation on physiologic edema in pregnancy.

The randomized controlled clinical trial study was conducted in 2022 on 129 primigravid women who visited the Mahdieh Tehran Health Center. The samples were randomly divided to four groups: hydrotherapy, massage therapy, leg elevation, and control. The data collection tools included a demographic and obstetric questionnaire, investigation of complications and satisfaction from the intervention, observation checklist and examination before and after the intervention, and a non-elastic meter. After collecting information, data analysis was done using SPSS statistical software (version 24) and parametric and non-parametric statistical tests. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

In the intragroup comparison, leg edema decreased significantly after the intervention compared to before the intervention (p<0.001). The results of the analysis of covariance indicated a significant difference in the mean size of foot circumferences after the intervention among the groups (p<0.001). In a side-by-side comparison of the groups after the intervention, leg elevation had the greatest effect among other interventions (p<0.001).

Self-care with effleurage massage, hydrotherapy, and leg elevation were effective in improving physiologic edema in the legs during pregnancy. Furthermore, leg elevation was found to be more effective in reducing degree of leg edema compared to other self-care interventions, and effleurage massage had the least effect in improving physiologic edema.