EFFECTIVENESS OF COCONUT SEED CARPET FOR FOOT MASSAGE ON PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY MITIGATION OF FEET OF DIABETIC IN PATIENTS WANG YANG SUBDISTRICT, PHANNA NIKHOM DISTRICT, SAKON NAKKHON PROVINCE.

Abstract

Diabetes and its complications especially Diabetic Neuropathy which is the most commonly found complications are recognized as serious global health problems resulting in both expenditure costs and quality of life of the patients and their families. Therefore, prevention and damage reduction from them are very important. Recently, the therapeutic strategies against these conditions are medication which has it limitation and can cause side effects. Therefore, the researchers had studied the invention of coconut shell carpet for foot massage in order to reduce the limitation and the side effects mentioned. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of foot massage using the coconut shell carpet for foot massage invention on peripheral neuropathy mitigation in feet of diabetic patients. Data were collected in Wang Yang Subdistrict, Phanna Nikhom District, Sakon Nakhon Province between September 2016 to August 2017, from 24 patients with type-2 diabetes and loss of sensation more than one area on plantar foot as diagnosed by using 10-gram monofilament. Each participant received instructions from the researchers, the coconut shell carpet for foot massage, and the feet treatment manual prior to the study. The samples were assigned to do five three-minute sessions of standard foot massage positions using the coconut shell carpet for foot massage three times weekly for four weeks. The samples’ peripheral neuropathy conditions were measured once every week for four weeks. It was found that the coconut shell carpet for foot massage could increase the number of plantar cutaneous sensation areas that responded to monofilament at 20.83, 62.50, 70.83 and 79.16 percentages respectively when compared to the pre-treatment. The results reveal that the coconut shell carpet for foot massage invention could improve foot peripheral neuropathy by decreasing the foot sensation loss in patients with diabetes and loss of sensation.