EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS, ROLE OF ROYAL THAI MASSAGE IN ENHANCING QUALITY OF LIFE, AND ITS SAFETY WITH IN SOCIAL DYNAMICS AMONG SUBACUTE STROKE PATIENTS
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Abstract
Introduction: Approximately 6 million deaths and 5 million cases of permanent disability worldwide each year. In recent years, Royal Thai Massage (RTM) has been increasingly integrated with standard rehabilitation to enhance functional recovery, activities of daily living (ADL), and quality of life (QoL) among stroke patients. However, evidence regarding its effectiveness and safety in subacute ischemic stroke remains limited. Objectives: (1)To evaluate the effectiveness of Court-type Thai Traditional Massage (CTTM) on stroke severity and activities of daily living in subacute ischemic stroke patients. (2) To assess the impact of CTTM on quality of life among subacute ischemic stroke patients treated in Ministry of Public Health hospitals. (3) To determine the safety of CTTM by documenting adverse events and safety-related outcomes in subacute ischemic stroke patients. Methods: An experimental study was conducted among subacute ischemic stroke patients receiving care at Ministry of Public Health hospitals in Thailand. A multistage random sampling method was applied to recruit 124 participants who met the inclusion criteria. Participants were allocated into a control group receiving standard rehabilitation alone (n = 49) and an experimental group receiving standard rehabilitation combined with RTM (n = 75). Baseline characteristics, stroke severity, ADL performance, and QoL were assessed at six time points. Pre-post intervention comparisons were analyzed using independent sample t-test p-value < .05 with a significance level of p < .05. Results: Between‑group comparisons showed no significant differences in improvements in stroke severity, ADL performance, or QoL. However, within‑group analyses demonstrated significant improvements in all three outcomes in both groups: stroke severity decreased, ADL performance improved, and QoL increased after the intervention period. Regarding safety, minor adverse events were reported in both groups, including muscle soreness (4.80%), dizziness, and fatigue (2.40%), with no serious complications observed. Conclusion: RTM combined with standard rehabilitation produced improvements in stroke severity, ADL performance, and QoL comparable to standard rehabilitation alone in subacute ischemic stroke patients. These findings align with existing evidence indicating no superiority of RTM over standard rehabilitation. Nevertheless, RTM appears safe and may have potential as an adjunctive therapy in stroke rehabilitation. Further studies with larger sample sizes and rigorous designs are recommended to clarify its clinical benefits.
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