Simple manoeuvre ‘curbs pain on coughing’ post-surgery
The procedure is effective after abdominal surgery for gastroenterological conditions, researchers say
The pain of coughing after abdominal surgery can be reduced using a bilateral flank compression manoeuvre, say the Japanese surgeons who came up with the idea.
“Despite the major advances in analgesic techniques, pain relief on coughing after abdominal surgery remains challenging,” they wrote in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.
The team from Kyorin University School of Medicine in Tokyo devised the bilateral flank compression manoeuvre, in which the flanks are compressed towards the midline with one hand on each side without touching the incision or drains.
They hypothesised that the manoeuvre would suppress the opening and shear forces generated momentarily at the incision when coughing, thereby reducing pain.
