Effectiveness of 6 weeks of vestibular exercises as adjunctive therapy in the management of depression, anxiety, and stress in gastric ulcer patients

Abstract

Background: Vestibular stimulation was reported to inhibit the stress axis and brings individual stress to lower levels. This is very beneficial as the management of psychological factors is equivalently important in the management of peptic ulcers. Aims and Objectives: The present study was undertaken to observe the effectiveness of vestibular exercises in the management of depression, anxiety, and stress in gastric ulcer patients. Materials and Methods: A total of 20 gastric ulcer patients without severe complications were part of the study after obtaining written informed consent. After recruiting, the participants were randomly assigned into two groups with ten participants in each group. Standard vestibular exercises mentioned in the literature were adopted. Each session of exercises comprises 45 min. Two sessions per week were administered to the participants for a period of 1 month. Results: Depression, anxiety, and stress scores were not significantly different between the control and intervention groups before the intervention. There was a significant decrease in depression, anxiety, and stress in the intervention group followed by the intervention. Conclusion: The present study results showed the beneficial effects of vestibular exercises in the management of negative psychological emotions such as depression, anxiety, and stress in patients with gastric ulcers. There is a need for large-scale studies in this area to recommend the adoption of vestibular stimulation in the management of gastric ulcers.