THE EFFECT OF PMR THERAPY ON PAIN LEVELS IN ELDERLY INDIVIDUALS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA)

Abstract

Pain is a common complaint among elderly individuals with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) due to joint inflammation, which can disrupt daily activities. One non-pharmacological therapy that can be used to help reduce pain levels is Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) therapy. This study aims to determine the effect of PMR therapy on pain levels in elderly individuals with RA. This research employed a pre-experimental design with a one-group pretest-posttest approach. The variables in this study consisted of the independent variable, Progressive Muscle Relaxation therapy, and the dependent variable, pain levels in elderly individuals with RA. The sampling technique used was purposive sampling, with a total sample of 31 respondents. The research instruments were observation sheets and the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) for pain measurement, and data analysis was performed using the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test at the 5% significance level. The results showed that before receiving PMR therapy, the majority of respondents 24 (77, 4%) experienced moderate pain, and 7 respondents (22.6%) experienced severe pain. After receiving PMR therapy, pain levels decreased, with the majority of respondents falling into the moderate pain category 18 respondents (58.1%) and the mild pain category 13 respondents (41.9%). The bivariate analysis results showed a p-value of 0.000 (<0.05), indicating a significant effect of PMR therapy on pain levels in elderly individuals with RA. This study concludes that Progressive Muscle Relaxation therapy is effective as a non-pharmacological intervention for reducing pain levels in elderly individuals with RA at Puskesmas Kota Selatan