Effectiveness of Vibration in Reducing Pain and Improving Satisfaction During Subcutaneous Injections: A Randomized Crossover Clinical Trial

Abstract

AimThe pain experienced during and after the injection may cause discomfort and lead individuals to develop a negative perception toward future injections. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of vibration stimulation on pain induced by subcutaneous injections and patient satisfaction.MethodsThis was a prospective, randomized, single-blind, crossover study design. Data were collected from 85 patients. Vibration and non-vibration subcutaneous anticoagulant injections were administered randomly by the same investigator following a standardized procedure. Pain and satisfaction were evaluated by a study-blind investigator using the Visual Analogue Scale immediately after the injection. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Student's t-test, paired sample test, and a generalized linear mixed model.ResultsA total of 175 injections were analyzed. It was found that the pain level of patients was lower when vibration was applied (4.06 +/- 1.68 vs. 5.32 +/- 2.19, p = 0.004). Additionally, patient satisfaction was higher when vibration was used (7.17 +/- 1.71vs. 5.97 +/- 2.46, p = 0.011).ConclusionThe results of this study demonstrated that vibration was effective in reducing the pain associated with subcutaneous anticoagulant injections and in increasing patient satisfaction. Vibration can be used as a method to alleviate pain from subcutaneous anticoagulant injections and enhance patient satisfaction. Clinically, this suggests that incorporating vibration during subcutaneous injections can be a simple, non-pharmacological strategy to improve patient comfort and adherence to therapy.