Pengaruh contrast bath terhadap nyeri pada pasien diabetic neuropathy

Shela Ajeng Prasiska (Program Studi Magister Ilmu Keperawatan, Fakultas Keperawatan, Universitas Sumatera Utara)
Diah Arruum (Program Studi Magister Ilmu Keperawatan, Fakultas Keperawatan, Universitas Sumatera Utara)
Dudut Tanjung (Program Studi Magister Ilmu Keperawatan, Fakultas Keperawatan, Universitas Sumatera Utara)
Siti Zahara Nasution (Program Studi Magister Ilmu Keperawatan, Fakultas Keperawatan, Universitas Sumatera Utara)
Mula Tarigan (Program Studi Magister Ilmu Keperawatan, Fakultas Keperawatan, Universitas Sumatera Utara)

Holistik Jurnal Kesehatan
Vol. 20 No. 4 (2026): Volume 20 Nomor 4

Background: Diabetic neuropathy is a chronic complication of diabetes mellitus that often causes neuropathic pain, impacting participants' quality of life. Pain management requires not only pharmacological therapy but also effective, safe, and easy-to-implement non-pharmacological interventions, one of which is contrast bath therapy. Purpose: To analyze the effect of contrast bath therapy on pain reduction in patients with diabetic neuropathy. Method: This study used a quasi-experimental design with a non-equivalent pretest-posttest control group design. The study sample consisted of 66 participants, 33 in the intervention group and 33 in the control group. This study was conducted at the Bhayangkara Hospital Class II Medan from September 2025 to April 2026. The intervention group received contrast bath therapy, a foot immersion technique involving warm water at 30°C for 3 minutes, followed by cold water immersion at 8–10°C for 1 minute. This was done in 5 cycles, with a total time of approximately 20 minutes. The control group received a 10-minute immersion in fresh water at 25°C. Pain was measured using the 4-question neuropathy instrument (DN4). Data analysis was performed using paired t-tests and independent t-tests. Results: This study showed a significant reduction in pain in the intervention group after contrast bath therapy (p < 0.05). The control group also showed significant changes, but the degree of change was smaller than the intervention group. Conclusion: Contrast bath therapy is effective in reducing neuropathic pain in patients with diabetic neuropathy. This therapy can be recommended as a simple, safe, and economical non-pharmacological nursing intervention to help improve the quality of life of patients with diabetic neuropathy. Suggestion: Future studies should involve a larger sample size and be conducted in different hospitals or healthcare facilities. Furthermore, intervention models that combine contrast baths with educational programs, physical exercise, or other self-management approaches should be developed.   Keywords: Contrast Bath; Diabetic Neuropathy Patients; Pain.