Effects of Benson Relaxation and Progressive Muscle Relaxation Techniques on Pain and Sleep Quality in Patients Undergoing Lobectomy

Background/Objective Pain is one of the most common complications in patients undergoing lobectomy and can negatively affect sleep quality. This study aims to compare the effects of Benson relaxation technique and progressive muscle relaxation exercises on pain and sleep quality in patients who have undergone lobectomy. Methods This study was conducted as a three‐arm, randomized controlled trial involving 180 patients who underwent lobectomy at a hospital in Turkey's Marmara region. The patients were randomly assigned to three groups (60 patients in each group): the Benson relaxation group, the progressive relaxation group, and the control group. Patients in the Benson relaxation and progressive relaxation groups were instructed to perform the exercises twice: once on the first day after surgery and once on the second day after surgery. The control group did not perform any exercises. Pain intensity and sleep quality were assessed at baseline (on the first day after surgery, before the exercise) and re‐assessed on the second and third days after surgery. Results Significant differences were observed between the groups in pain scores on postoperative Days 1, 2, and 3 ( p < 0.05). Patients in both exercise groups had lower pain scores on postoperative Day 3 compared to the control group; the lowest pain level was observed in the progressive muscle relaxation group. In terms of sleep quality, significant differences were found between the groups on Days 1 and 3 postsurgery ( p < 0.05). Sleep quality was higher in the Benson and progressive relaxation groups than in the control group. The highest sleep quality scores were found in the progressive muscle relaxation group. Conclusions This study has shown that both the Benson relaxation technique and the progressive muscle relaxation technique may be effective in reducing pain and improving sleep quality in patients who have undergone a lobectomy. However, it has been demonstrated that the progressive muscle relaxation technique is more effective.