EFFECTIVENESS OF BENSON RELAXATION TECHNIQUE ON REDUCTION OF PAIN AND STRESS AMONG THE POST OPERATIVE OBSTETRICAL AND GYNECOLOGICAL PATIENTS

Postoperative pain and stress are common among obstetrical and gynaecological (OBG) patients and can adversely affect recovery, patient comfort, and overall well-being. Benson's Relaxation Technique is a simple, safe, and cost-effective non-pharmacological intervention that promotes relaxation and may help reduce postoperative pain and stress. Methodology: A quantitative research approach with a true experimental pre-test–post-test control group design was adopted. The study was conducted in selected hospitals, Tumkur. 60 postoperative obstetrical and gynaecological patients were selected using simple random sampling and randomly assigned to the experimental group (n=30) and control group (n=30). Baseline pain and stress levels were assessed on the second postoperative day using standardized pain and stress assessment scales. Descriptive and inferential statistics, including paired and independent t tests, were used to analyse the data. Results: The mean pain score in the experimental group decreased from 6.46 ± 2.14 during the pre-test to 3.63 ± 2.00 during the post-test. The mean stress score decreased from 24.46 ± 7.72 to 14.83 ± 4.84. The paired t test showed a statistically significant reduction in pain (t=7.325, p<0.001). The independent t test also demonstrated a significant difference in post-test pain scores between the experimental and control groups (t=4.752, p<0.05). These findings indicate that Benson's Relaxation Technique effectively reduced postoperative pain and stress among OBG patients. Conclusion: The study concludes that Benson's Relaxation Technique is an effective non-pharmacological nursing intervention for reducing postoperative pain and stress among obstetrical and gynaecological patients. Incorporating this relaxation technique into routine postoperative nursing care can improve patient comfort, promote faster recovery, and enhance the quality of nursing care.