Acute pain in patients with hypertension was a common problem that could reduce comfort, interfere with daily activities, and increase anxiety. One of the effective non-pharmacological interventions to reduce pain and promote relaxation was the Guided Imagery (GI) technique. This case study aimed to describe the effectiveness of implementing Guided Imagery with the theme “Peaceful Garden in the Mountains” in reducing acute pain intensity in a hypertensive patient in the inpatient unit of Puskesmas Lembeyan Magetan.
The method used was a case study involving one patient who presented with intermittent headache due to uncontrolled hypertension, with an initial pain scale of NRS 3–4 during assessment. The GI intervention was provided daily for five consecutive days with a duration of approximately 15–20 minutes, accompanied by supportive interventions such as deep breathing relaxation, comfortable positioning, stress management education, blood pressure monitoring, and collaboration in providing standard medical therapy.
Pain assessment was conducted using the PQRST approach and periodic monitoring of vital signs to evaluate the patient's physiological responses. The results showed a consistent decrease in pain intensity: from NRS 3–4 on the first day, decreasing to NRS 2 on the second day, NRS 1 on the third day, and reaching NRS 0 on the fourth and fifth days. The patient also reported improved comfort, better sleep quality, reduced neck muscle tension, and a greater sense of relaxation after participating in GI sessions. These improvements were related to the mechanism of Guided Imagery, which reduced sympathetic nervous system activation, promoted mental relaxation, and modulated pain perception through calming visualization processes.
The findings indicated that Guided Imagery was a safe, easy-to-apply, and effective intervention for reducing acute pain in patients with hypertension and could be recommended as part of non-pharmacological pain management in evidence-based nursing practice (EBN). This intervention also had the potential to enhance patient comfort and quality of life while supporting the effectiveness of pharmacological therapy.