Can calf massage prevent deep vein thrombosis? A systematic review

Kalifah Mahardika Kusuma Negara; Iwan Purnawan; Saryono Saryono

doi:10.33024/minh.v7i8.505

Authors

Kalifah Mahardika Kusuma Negara Fakultas Ilmu Kesehatan, Universitas Jenderal Soedirman
Iwan Purnawan Fakultas Ilmu Kesehatan, Universitas Jenderal Soedirman
Saryono Saryono Fakultas Ilmu Kesehatan, Universitas Jenderal Soedirman

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33024/minh.v7i8.505

Keywords:

Calf Massage, Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), Foot, Therapy

Abstract

Background: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a condition in which blood clots form in deep veins, usually in the legs. The causes of thrombosis are divided into two, namely those related to immobilization and those related to hypercoagulation, both of which are related to genetic factors and acquired risk factors. DVT can be prevented by preventing recurrent DVT, patients must continue to exercise, and provide compression therapy and anticoagulation therapy with the right duration.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of calf massage techniques in lowering the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

Method: The research design used is a systematic review method with article selection referring to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). The article search stage is carried out systematically using keywords written manually or using the search facility available in each database. The keywords used in the article search are (massage OR therapy OR pressure) AND (calf OR foot) AND (Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)). Article searches are carried out electronically to filter relevant articles. Articles are sourced from the Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, and ProQuest database search engines. The inclusion criteria for this literature review were articles published in the last ten years, namely 2013-2023, articles in Indonesian and English, interventions given to patients at risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), interventions using calf massage either with or without tools, randomized controlled trials, experimental/quasi-experimental, and full manuscripts available.

Results: Calf massage has been shown to be effective in reducing the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). This is shown based on five journals that have been analyzed that there is a significant decrease in the risk of DVT in the results of the experimental group with the control group and there is only one journal that states that the use of foot pumps does not significantly reduce the incidence of DVT in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) with edoxaban thromboprophylaxis.

Conclusion: Massage interventions carried out using tools or without tools with various versions and methods have a positive impact on reducing the risk of DVT.

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