Abstract
High uric acid levels cause an increase in needle-shaped uric acid crystals, especially in joints, which can cause pain. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of saltwater and ginger water soaking in reducing the pain scale in elderly people with gout. This study used a quasi-experimental design with two-group pre- and post-tests. The study was conducted at the Mpunda Community Health Center, Bima City, Indonesia. The sampling technique used was a non-probability technique with quota sampling, with a total sample of 192 gout sufferers divided into three groups. The Wilcoxon and Mann–Whitney tests were used for data analysis. The findings showed that salt-water soaking therapy had a P-value of 0.003, indicating that there was a difference in the pain scale results between the pre-test and post-test. Similarly, in the ginger water soaking intervention, the P-value of 0.001 indicated a difference in the pain scale results between the pre- and post-ginger water soaking tests. The average ranking of the salt water soaking group was lower, namely 7.45, compared to the ginger water soaking group, namely 15.55, which means that the salt water soaking group experienced a greater decrease in pain scale than the ginger water soaking group. In conclusion, salt-water soaking therapy is more effective than ginger water soaking therapy for pain in patients with gout. The suggestion from this study was that healthcare providers should consider recommending salt-water soaking therapy over ginger water soaking therapy for managing pain in patients with gout.