Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Health Academy Kastamonu, cilt.11, sa.1, ss.26-39, 2026 (Hakemli Dergi)
Constipation is one of the symptoms experienced by the elderly. If constipation is left untreated, it can lead to uncomfortable symptoms or life-threatening complications such as abdominal pain, psychological disorders, intestinal obstruction and perforation. Although the use of common pharmacological interventions for constipation is effective in relieving short-term symptoms, their long-term use can cause serious side effects and high costs to the health care system. Therefore, other supportive methods are needed to alleviate constipation in the elderly. Recently, complementary and alternative medicine practices have been widely used in symptom management. Studies have shown that massage, one of the complementary and alternative treatment methods, is effective in the management of constipation. Massage is a non-invasive intervention for constipation and is an effective method that does not result in any pain or side effects. However, the number of studies on the effects of massage in the treatment of constipation in the elderly is quite limited. Nurses should have knowledge about massage, which is one of the complementary and alternative methods in the management of constipation symptoms, inform the patient, and observe the effects of massage application on the patient.