Rocking Chair Therapy – Can It Be the High Tech Therapy of the Future?

The rocking chair is probably a part of all our babyhood, but it probably should also be equally important in our adulthood. Rocking chairs have been a mainstay of many of our lives as they have contributed to many good things in our life. Our grandmothers have knit sweaters for us while in a rocking chair, we were nursed or given a bottle in a rocking chair and mint juleps and ice tea are even more special on a shady porch during the summer while rocking away.

Now science has entered into the rocking chair franchise. Rocking can be an effective therapy for improving numerous physical conditions, including constipation and arthritis, and also can help speed recovery after surgery. President John Kennedy, often used a rocking chair on Air Force One to help relieve his back problems.

Rocking chairs, even though they might be old fashion, they are inexpensive, effective and safe. The worse possible side effect of using the rocking chair therapy might be a small argument with your spouse or partner about whose turn it is to use the chair.

Dr. Massey, PhD, RN, director of clinical nursing at the University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center had observed that patients who rocked in rocking chairs experienced an earlier return of bowel function than those who did not rock. Also, previous research in women recovering from C-section and abdominal hysterectomy demonstrated earlier resolution of bowel dysfunction in those who rocked in a rocking chair than in those who received other treatments.

Using this observation, Dr. Massey conducted a study that demonstrated that cancer patients recovering from abdominal surgery who also spent time rocking in a rocking chair resumed bowel activity more quickly than patients who did not. As a result they reported that they felt better sooner and recovered faster. Bowel dysfunction is a normal and expected side effect of all abdominal surgery and many patients have reported it as the most difficult part of their recovery.

Massey’s study used the rocking chair intervention in both male and female cancer patients recovering from surgeries for abdominal cancers, as well as from gastric, colon, small bowel, pancreatic or liver surgeries. The study included 66 patients, 34 of whom were instructed to rock for periods of between 10 to 20 minutes for a total of at least one hour a day, and also to walk, adding more time each day as tolerated. They were compared with 32 others who did not rock (but who did walk) serving as a control group.

The results: Those in the rocking group first passed gas (a post-op healing benchmark) 16.8 hours earlier on average than the other group. Dr. Massey says that 17 hours doesn’t sound like a lot, “but it is a long time if you are experiencing postoperative nausea, vomiting, abdominal distention and inability to eat.” He added that there’s also evidence that having these side effects may impact recovery in a way that can negatively affect your quality of life much later — so it may be that rocking has long-term health benefits as well.

Dr. Massey has stated that he believes the positive results are due to the way rocking stimulates the vestibular nerves in the ear that, in turn, send signals to the reticular activating system (RAS), which is the source of the fight-or-flight reaction that plays a pivotal role in bodily and behavioral alertness. The bowel dysfunction associated with abdominal surgery is thought to be a response to the stress of surgery. It seems that rocking modulates this response and mobilizes the digestive system. Dr. Massey is hoping to start a new study soon that will investigate more fully what it is about rocking that is so effective for post-op patients.

There are now orthopedic surgeons who have jumped aboard the rocking chair train and now recommend rocking to help the recovery from knee surgery, arthritis and varicose veins. People suffering with Alzheimer’s, dementia, ADHD, autism and sensory disorders also seem to benefit from rocking. Some doctors have found rocking helpful for chronic fatigue recovery as well as from stroke and heart attack recovery.

Dr. Massey has said that he plans future research to also investigate whether the use of rocking therapy will help surgical patients avoid post-op deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a potentially serious and sometimes lethal situation that creates clots that can go to the lungs. “In rocking you are flexing and relaxing the muscles in the lower legs, which may enhance the compression stockings’ effectiveness,” says Dr. Massey.

My suggestion is to have two rocking chairs in your home so that one potential negative side effect of rocking , arguing about whose turn it is to rock, will nor impinge on your quality of life.

Happy Rocking to you.

Source(s):

Robert Massey, PhD, RN, director of clinical nursing, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston.

Joel T Nowak MA, MSW

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