Penerapan terapi foot massage dalam menurunkan tekanan darah lansia dengan hipertensi di Maluku: Studi kasus: Application of foot massage therapy in lowering blood pressure in elderly parents with hypertension in Maluku: A case study - Sitti Johri Nasela; Nilam C. Latulumamina; Cut Mutia Tatisina; Yona Sahalessy; Mintje M. Nendissa (Poltekkes Kemenkes Jayapura, 2025)
Hipertensi telah menjadi tantangan kesehatan yang krusial di Indonesia dan Maluku, di mana kelompok lansia menghadapi risiko komplikasi yang mengancam kualitas hidup mereka. Terapi foot massage muncul sebagai solusi non-farmakologis yang menjanjikan untuk membantu menurunkan tekanan darah di antara lansia, namun penerapannya di Maluku Tengah belum banyak dieksplorasi sehingga perlu diuji dalam asuhan keperawatan.Penelitian ini bertujuan mengeksplorasi penerapan terapi foot massage sebagai intervensi asuhan keperawatan untuk menurunkan tekanan darah pada lansia dengan hipertensi di Maluku Tengah. Studi kasus eksploratif ini melibatkan tiga lansia hipertensi (usia 63–91 tahun) yang menerima intervensi foot massage selama 30 menit/hari selama lima hari. Teknik pijat mengacu pada protokol Puthusseril dengan stimulasi titik refleks jantung dan ginjal. Data dikumpulkan melalui wawancara, observasi fisik, dan pengukuran tanda vital. Data tekanan darah, frekuensi nadi, dan keluhan subjektif dianalisis secara deskriptif komparatif. Seluruh responden menunjukkan penurunan tekanan darah sistolik dan diastolik secara bertahap dan konsisten setelah intervensi. Penurunan frekuensi nadi rata-rata 10–20 kali per menit juga tercatat. Pada hari kelima, seluruh responden melaporkan tidak ada keluhan seperti pusing, leher tegang, atau lelah. Terapi foot massage dapat menurunkan tekanan darah dan perbaikan keluhan subjektif pada lansia hipertensi. Hypertension has become a crucial health challenge in Indonesia and Maluku, where the elderly population faces the risk of complications that threaten their quality of life. Foot massage therapy has emerged as a promising non-pharmacological solution to help lower blood pressure among the elderly; however, its application in Central Maluku has not been widely explored and therefore, needs to be tested in nursing care. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of foot massage therapy as a nursing care intervention in reducing blood pressure in elderly individuals with hypertension in Central Maluku. This exploratory case study involved three elderly hypertensive patients (aged 63–91 years) who received a 30-minute foot massage intervention for five consecutive days. The massage technique refers to the Puthusseril protocol, which involves stimulating cardiac and kidney reflex points. Data were collected through interviews, physical observations, and vital sign measurements. Blood pressure, pulse rate, and subjective complaints data were analyzed descriptively comparatively. All respondents exhibited a gradual and consistent decrease in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure following the intervention. An average reduction in pulse rate of 10–20 beats per minute was also recorded. On the fifth day, all respondents reported no complaints such as dizziness, neck tension, or fatigue. Foot massage therapy can lower blood pressure and improve subjective complaints in elderly hypertensives.