The Effects of Progressive Relaxation Exercises on Side Effects of Chemotherapy in Cancer Patients

Chemotherapy, which is a systemic treatment in cancer, plays a great and important role in cancer treatment while surgery and radiothepy serve as local treatments. Depending on the treatment regime, chemotherapy has a number of side effects. Fatigue, nausea and vomiting, neutropenia, anemia, peripheral neuropathy, and sleep disorders are the most common side effects of chemotherapy and these significantly affect the quality of life of patients. One of the methods that are recommended in managing the side effects led by chemotherapy is the Progressive Relaxation Exercises, whose efficiency is still controversial. There are only few studies evaluating the efficacy of progressive relaxation exercises on the problems that cancer patients suffer such as pain, anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, nausea, vomiting, fatigue led by chemotherapy, and there is insufficient evidence. It was also reported that the studies carried out were methodologically weak. Cancer patients pass through difficult times due to the disease itself or the side effects of the treatment methods. It is belived that advanced, simple, inexpensive and reliable nursing practices such as the progressive relaxation training in addition to the standard pharmacological treatment will improve the control over symptoms and increase the quality of life of the patients