Gentle massage and bed exercises may ease gut troubles for Tube-Fed patients
NCT ID NCT07125482
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study looked at whether abdominal massage or simple bed exercises could reduce gastrointestinal complications like constipation, diarrhea, and bloating in palliative care patients receiving tube feeding. Over 100 adults in a palliative care unit were randomly assigned to receive either abdominal massage, bed exercises, or standard care for three days. The goal was to see if these gentle interventions could improve patient comfort and reduce gut-related issues.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- abdominal massage and in-bed exercise
- What this could lead to
- If effective, these simple, drug-free techniques could help reduce common gut problems like constipation and nausea in palliative care patients.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed study without a later-phase follow-up, so results may not apply broadly. The interventions are gentle but may not work for everyone.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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105 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Mar 2025
- Finished
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Aug 2025
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 95 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Being over 18 years of age, * Patients receiving inpatient treatment and care in the palliative care unit, * Patients who started enteral feeding at least 24 hours ago * Patients without wounds in the extremity and abdominal region * Patients without intestinal obstruction * Patients who have not received abdominal radiotherapy and have not undergone abdominal surgery in the last six weeks * Patients with a Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) \>3 * Patients who have no restrictions on abdominal massage * Patients whose consent has been obtained from their relatives will be included. Exclusion Criteria: * Patients whose enteral feeding was stopped during the study * Patients who showed signs of infection due to Ventilator-associated Pneumonia or other infections during or before the study will not be included.
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam Unıversity
Kahramanmaraş, Kahramanmaraş, 46000, Turkey (Türkiye)
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