Physical restraint (PR) is the term used to describe limiting a patient’s motions and preventing them from moving around freely either by attaching physiological or mechanical gadgets to the patient’s body or by using a brief physical force from the medical staff (Ye et al., 2019). In addition, Woldekirkos et al. (2021) stated that physical restraint is defined as any device, material, or piece of equipment that is attached to or adjoining to an individual’s body and that person cannot easily remove, immobilize, or restrict the individual’s ability to move their parts of the body freely and have normal access to their own body.

According to Lee, Välimäki, and Lantta (2021), these are frequently used in mental care settings. On occasion, they would be the only choice left to limit therapy interference and maintain patient safety. The main purpose of using physical restraints is to stop patients from hurting themselves or others. Additionally, they guarantee security, regulate agitation, control undesired behavior and aggressiveness, and guard against falls and accidents.

The use of physical restraint is a topic of intense dispute because it raises ethical and legal considerations that may harm patients’ autonomy and dignity. Physical restraint is only used as a last resort by medical personnel when all other measures have failed and the patient’s safety is in jeopardy, such as when they are at risk of falling, injuring themselves or others, yanking out tubes, or behaving aggressively or violently.