Effect of Functional Relaxation on Patients Undergoing Colonoscopy: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial

Patient attending for colonoscopy are generally worried and anxious. Fear of discomfort is the most common reason for low acceptance of colonoscopy. Several methods have been used to minimize patient discomfort, including the use of paediatric colonoscopes, variable stiffness colonoscopes, gastroscopes, music, audio distraction, or simply allowing the patients to participate in administration of medication. Although a potential benefit from some of these methods has been suggested, no clear recommendations have been made so far. We hypothesized functional relaxation reduces discomfort during colonoscopy.