The Effectiveness of Hot Fomentation with Epsom Salt Versus Common Salt on Knee Joint Pain among Elderly in the Selected Old Age Home of Pune City

Abstract

Background & Objective: Aging is a multidimensional process of change in the physical, psychological
and social. In India Osteoarthritis 2nd most cause of knee joint pain with the prevalence of 22 to 39%. Our
aim was to assess the effectiveness of hot fomentation with Epsom salt versus Common salt on knee joint
pain among elderly
Methods: A Quasi Experimental, Non- randomized one group pre-test post-test control group design was
adopted involving 40 elderly who have knee joint pain. After obtaining informed consent elderly were
allocated into two groups of 20 each by using the Non-probability purposive sampling technique. Hot
fomentation (100 ml of water at the temperature of 30-40 degree Celsius) with 2gm of Epsom salt for the
experimental group and common salt for the attention control group for 5 days once a day. Global pain scale
was used to assess the level of pain.
Results: The significant change was observed in Pain level as evident that the t-value is 26.29, p-value of
Epsom is 0.00001 that is less than 0.05 and the t-value is -21.03, p-value of Common salt is 0.0001 that is
less than 0.05, both the interventions were effective but Epsom salt is more effective than common salt on
knee joint pain. Hence, null hypothesis (H0) was rejected. None of the demographic variables are found to
have significant association with the level of knee joint pain.
Conclusion: The effectiveness of hot fomentation with Epsom salt is higher than the common salt so null
hypothesis is rejected.