Non-pharmacological methods for pain relief during mammography: integrative review
Katherine Olga Correia Alves Santos, Clarissa Lima Franco, Caíque Jordan Nunes Ribeiro, Mariângela da Silva Nunes, Maria do Carmo de Oliveira
Abstract
ABSTRACT BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Mammography is an examination of images of the breasts, obtained through radiography with compression of the breast tissue. Pain is a factor constantly reported by patients undergoing the procedure and, for this reason, there is a need to establish alternative non-pharmacological strategies that reduce the sensation of pain. The aim of this study was to carry out an integrative review on non-pharmacological methods used for pain relief during mammography examination. CONTENTS The search was carried out in April 2021 in four databases (Pubmed, Medline, Scopus and CINAHL) using the descriptors “pain”, “pain management”, “mammography”, “music therapy” and “complementary therapies “. After reading and final analysis, four articles met the pre-established criteria, addressing the non-pharmacological management of pain during mammography. The studies showed different methods to reduce pain, such as the use of pads and changes in the compression protocol, as well as the intervention with music. CONCLUSION Evidence on the non-pharmacological management of mammography-related pain is still scarce. Among the strategies found, the customized compression protocol and the use of compressible pads showed analgesic efficacy, while the use of music did not result in a significant reduction in procedural pain. However, as this is an integrative review, there is a need to carry out evidence syntheses with greater methodological rigor to estimate the size of the analgesic effect of these interventions.