The Effect of Reciting the Word “Allah” on Pain Severity After Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery: A Randomized Clinical Trial Study in Iran

Background: One of the most expressed complains following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery is chest wall pain. Due to side effects of opioids used commonly for pain relief after heart surgeries, it is important to use low-cost and non-pharmacological methods independently or combined with palliatives to alleviate pain and consequently prevent undesirable drug adverse effects.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effect of Hazrate Zahra’s praises, which is one of the most known praises among Muslims in which the word “Allah” is repeated 100 times, on pain severity after CABG surgery.

Patients and Methods: This randomized clinical trial study was performed on 80 patients in Busheher Bentolhoda Hospital, Iran, in 2013. Data was collected by a researcher-made questionnaire and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Patients were randomly assigned into intervention (n = 40) and control (n = 40) groups. In intervention group, we asked patients to recite Hazrate Zahra’s praises (AS) as one of the most known praises among Muslims in which the word “Allah” is repeated 100 times. In the control group, patients received routine procedures of hospital. Pain was assessed before and immediately after the intervention in three days after the operation in the both groups. Data was analyzed by SPSS 19 software using descriptive and analytic (Chi-square and independent and paired sample t test) statistical methods.

Results: There was a significant difference regarding pain severity after the intervention between the two groups during three days after the operation (respectively P ≤ 0.001, P ≤ 0.001 and P ≤ 0.003), but no significant difference was found between the two studied groups before the intervention. Moreover, a significant difference was seen before and after recitation in the intervention group during three days after the operation (for three days P ≤ 0.001), while in control group no significant difference was revealed before and after the intervention (respectively P = 0.493, P = 0.541 and P = 0.119).

Conclusions: Reciting the word “Allah” as a non-pharmacological, low-cost and non-invasive method with no side effects can be effective on pain relief after CABG surgery.