Effects of an herbal foot bath to reduce foot paresthesia among diabetic patients with complications in border area of Sa Kaeo, Thailand
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Abstract
Foot complications from diabetes, particularly numbness, can be managed using traditional Thai medicine. This alternative approach incorporates various herbs to relieve numbness in the feet. This study investigated the mean change in visual analog scale (VAS) scores and monofilament test results among diabetic patients with complications. The research employed a quasi-experimental design with a two-group pretest-posttest design involving diabetic patients with complications. The sample consisted of 72 participants, divided into intervention (n = 36) and control (n = 36) groups through simple random sampling. The control group received standard care and a self-care foot manual. In contrast, the experimental group participated in a four-week herbal foot bath program, three times a week, totaling twelve sessions. Following this, they were monitored for three months, continuing to use the herbal foot bath once a week. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, paired t-tests, and independent t-tests. The findings indicated a significant reduction in mean VAS scores for the left foot in the intervention group compared to the control group. Moreover, there was a notable reduction in mean VAS scores for the right foot in the intervention group compared to the control group. Additionally, the monofilament test revealed a significant decrease in the mean number of points with numbness in the left foot for the intervention group compared to the control group. Similarly, there was a significant decrease in the mean number of points with numbness in the right foot between the intervention and control groups. These results suggest that the herbal foot bath may serve as an effective and accessible non-pharmacological intervention for managing diabetic foot paresthesia in community healthcare.
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