The Efficacy of P6 Acupressure With Sea-Band in Reducing Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting in Patients Undergoing Craniotomy: A Randomized, Double-blinded, Placebo-controlled Study Cardiovascular benefits of acupressure (Jin Shin) following stroke. Use of a Disposable Acupressure Device as Part of a Multimodal Antiemetic Strategy for Reducing Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting Acupressure as a non-pharmacological intervention for traumatic brain injury (TBI). Effects of acupressure at the Sanyinjiao point (SP6) on the process of active phase of labor in nulliparas women. Efficacy of P6 acupressure in the treatment of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. The psychologic consequences of chronic dyspnea in chronic pulmonary obstruction disease: the effects of acupressure on depression. The effect of acupressure on sanyinjiao and hugo points on labor pain in nulliparous women: a randomized clinical trial. Effect of acupressure of Ex-Le7 point on pain, nausea and vomiting after appendectomy: A randomized trial “Until the trial is complete you can’t really say whether it helped you or not, can you?”: exploring cancer patients’ perceptions of taking part in a trial of acupressure wristbands Effect of acupressure on postoperative nausea and vomiting in laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Acupressure for the in-patient treatment of nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy: a randomized control trial. The analgesic effect of magnetic acupressure in cancer patients undergoing bone marrow aspiration and biopsy: a randomized, blinded, controlled trial. Acupressure for Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy: A Randomized, Blinded Study P6 Acupressure Does Not Prevent Emesis During Spinal Anesthesia for Cesarean Delivery Acupressure and prevention of nausea and vomiting during and after spinal anaesthesia for caesarean section. Are acupoints specific for diseases? A systematic review of the randomized controlled trials with sham acupuncture controls Is Placebo Acupuncture What It Is Intended to Be? The effects of acupressure on primary dysmenorrhea: a randomized controlled trial. Comparison of acupressure bands and droperidol for reducing post-operative nausea and vomiting in gynecologic surgery patients. Acupressure treatment of morning sickness in pregnancy. A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Acupuncture for patients with migraine: a randomized controlled trial. P6 acupressure effectiveness on acute vertiginous patients: a double blind randomized study. Efficacy of acupressure for non-pharmacological stress reduction in college students. Effects of LI4 acupressure on labor pain in the first stage of labor. Acupressure for intrathecal narcotic-induced nausea and vomiting after caesarean section. Acupressure for postoperative nausea and vomiting in gynaecological patients receiving patient‐controlled analgesia The beneficial effect of ST-36 (Zusanli) acupressure on postoperative gastrointestinal function in patients with colorectal cancer. Effectiveness of acupressure in improving dyspnoea in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Effectiveness of acupressure for residents of long-term care facilities with insomnia: a randomized controlled trial. Effect and placebo effect of acupressure (P6) on nausea and vomiting after outpatient gynaecological surgery The efficacy of acupressure at the Sanyinjiao point in the improvement of women's general health. Continuous PC6 wristband acupressure for relief of nausea and vomiting associated with acute myocardial infarction: a partially randomised, placebo-controlled trial. Prehospital analgesia with acupressure at the Baihui and Hegu points in patients with radial fractures: a prospective, randomized, double-blind trial. Prehospital Analgesia with Acupressure in Victims of Minor Trauma: A Prospective, Randomized, Double-Blinded Trial Effects of Trigger Point Acupuncture on Chronic Low Back Pain in Elderly Patients – a Sham-Controlled Randomised Trial Effect of acupressure in treating urodynamic stress incontinence: a randomized controlled trial. Use of acupressure to improve gastrointestinal motility in women after trans-abdominal hysterectomy. The effect of acupressure on quality of sleep in Iranian elderly nursing home residents. P6 acupressure may relieve nausea and vomiting after gynecological surgery: an effectiveness study in 410 women Acupressure at acupoint P6 for prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting: a randomised clinical trial Are Sham Acupuncture Interventions More Effective than (Other) Placebos? A Re-Analysis of Data from the Cochrane Review on Placebo Effects Comparing the efficacy of prophylactic p6 acupressure, ondansetron, metoclopramide and placebo in the prevention of vomiting and nausea after strabismus surgery. Effect of acupressure on preoperative anxiety: a clinical trial. Acupressure and Preoperative Parental Anxiety: A Pilot Study Self-administered acupressure reduces the symptoms that limit daily activities in bronchiectasis patients: pilot study findings. Effect of acupressure by Sea-Bands on nausea and vomiting of pregnancy. Effects of SP6 acupressure on labor pain and length of delivery time in women during labor. Acupuncture and knee osteoarthritis: a three-armed randomized trial. Acupressure and quality of sleep in patients with end-stage renal disease--a randomized controlled trial. Pressure on acupoints decreases postoperative pain. Acupressure wristbands for the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting in adults undergoing cardiac surgery. The effect of single-application topical ophthalmic anesthesia in patients with trigeminal neuralgia. A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Effect of Nei-Guan point (P6) acupressure on ketonuria levels, nausea and vomiting in women with hyperemesis gravidarum. "I assumed that one was a placebo": exploring the consent process in a sham controlled acupressure trial. Extra-1 Acupressure for Children Undergoing Anesthesia The effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of acupressure for the control and management of chemotherapy-related acute and delayed nausea: Assessment of Nausea in Chemotherapy Research (ANCHoR), a randomised controlled trial. [Thinking on designation of sham acupuncture in clinical research]. Efficacy of wrists overnight compression (HT 7 point) on insomniacs: possible role of melatonin? Effects of acupressure on fatigue of lung cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy: an experimental pilot study. Acupressure Treatment for Prevention of Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting Acupressure and the prevention of nausea and vomiting after laparoscopy. Effect of P6 acupressure on postoperative vomiting in children undergoing outpatient strabismus correction. The effects of P6 acupressure and nurse-provided counseling on chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in patients with breast cancer. The effect of acupressure on nausea and vomiting after cesarean section under spinal anesthesia. Acupressure wristbands do not prevent postoperative nausea and vomiting after urological endoscopic surgery A randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study of acupressure wristbands for the prevention of nausea and vomiting during labour and delivery.
Background : Postoperative nausea and vomiting ( PONV ) is a multifactorial problem after general anesthesia . Despite antiemetic prophylaxis and improved anesthetic techniques , PONV still occurs frequently after craniotomies . P6 stimulation is described as an alternative method for preventing PONV . The primary aim of this study was to determine whether P6 acupressure with Sea-B and could reduce postoperative nausea after elective craniotomy . Secondary aims were to investigate whether the frequency of vomiting and the need for antiemetics could be reduced . Methods : In this r and omized , double-blinded , placebo-controlled study , patients were r and omized into either a  P6 acupressure group ( n=43 ) or a sham group ( n=52 ) . B and s were applied unilaterally at the end of surgery , and all patients were administered prophylactic ondansetron .  Postoperative nausea was evaluated with a Numerical Rating Scale , 0 to10 , and the frequency of vomiting was recorded for 48 hours . Results : We found no significant effect from P6 acupressure with  Sea-B  and on postoperative nausea or vomiting in patients undergoing craniotomy . Nor was there any difference in the need for rescue antiemetics . Altogether , 67 % experienced PONV , and this was especially an issue at > 24 hours in patients recovering from infratentorial surgery compared with supratentorial surgery ( 55 % vs. 26 % ; P=0.014 ) . Conclusions : Unilateral P6 acupressure with Sea-B and applied at the end of surgery together with prophylactic ondansetron did not significantly reduce PONV or the need for rescue antiemetics in patients undergoing craniotomy . Our study confirmed that PONV is a common issue after craniotomy , especially after infratentorial surgery OBJECTIVES Acupressure , a complementary and alternative medicine ( CAM ) treatment , uses fingertips , rather than needles , to stimulate acupoints on the skin and has been implicated as a successful treatment for a variety of medical disorders . However , acupressure 's underlying mechanisms remain unclear . One theory is that acupoint stimulation modulates autonomic nervous system activity . Previous studies have suggested that acupressure may positively affect heart rate and blood pressure . The current study investigated the effects of a type of acupressure , Jin Shin , on cardiovascular function in stroke survivors , a population that could especially benefit from a treatment promoting cardiovascular health . The study tested the hypothesis that active acupressure treatments would reduce heart rate and blood pressure ( i.e. , induce a greater relaxation response ) above and beyond that seen during placebo acupressure treatments . METHODS A r and omised , placebo-controlled , single-blind crossover design was utilised , in which 16 participants received 8 weeks of either active or placebo acupressure  followed by washout and crossover into the opposite treatment condition . Heart rate and blood pressure measurements were taken throughout treatments . RESULTS Active acupressure treatments were associated with a significantly greater ( p=.043 , eta(2)=.30 ) and faster ( p=.002 , eta(2)=.76 ) reduction in heart rate compared to that seen during placebo treatments . No treatment effect on blood pressure was found . CONCLUSIONS Active acupressure reduced heart rate significantly more than did placebo acupressure during treatments . Although no treatment effect on blood pressure was found , this could be due to 67 % of participants taking antihypertensive medications during the study BACKGROUND : There is still controversy regarding the optimal strategy for managing postoperative nausea and vomiting ( PONV ) in high-risk surgical population s. Although acustimulation at the P6 acupoint has been demonstrated to be effective in preventing PONV , the effect of this nonpharmacologic therapy on the patient 's recovery with respect to resumption of normal activities of daily living has not been previously assessed when it is used as part of a multimodal antiemetic regimen . Therefore , we design ed this r and omized , sham-controlled , and double-blind study to assess the efficacy of a disposable acupressure device ( Pressure Right ® ; Pressure Point Inc. , Gr and Rapids , MI ) on the incidence of emetic episodes and quality of recovery when used in combination with ondansetron and dexamethasone for antiemetic prophylaxis . METHODS : One hundred ASA physical status I and II patients undergoing major laparoscopic procedures were r and omly assigned to either a control group ( n = 50 ) receiving a “ sham ” acustimulation device or an acupressure group ( n = 50 ) receiving a disposable Pressure Right device placed bilaterally at the P6 point 30 to 60 minutes before induction of anesthesia . All patients received a st and ardized general anesthetic . A combination of ondansetron , 4 mg IV , and dexamethasone , 4 mg IV , was administered during surgery for antiemetic prophylaxis in both study groups . The incidence of nausea and vomiting and the need for “ rescue ” antiemetic therapy were assessed at specific time intervals for up to 72 hours after surgery . The recovery profiles and quality of recovery question naires were evaluated at 48 hours and 72 hours after surgery . Patient satisfaction with the management of their PONV was assessed at the end of the 72-hour study period . RESULTS : The 2 study groups did not differ in their demographic characteristics or risk factors for PONV . The incidence of vomiting at 24 hours was significantly decreased in the acupressure group ( 10 % vs 26 % , P = 0.04 , 95 % confidence interval for absolute risk reduction 1%–31 % ) . The overall incidence of vomiting from 0 to 72 hours after surgery was also significantly decreased from 30 % to 12 % in the acupressure group ( P = 0.03 , 95 % confidence interval 2%–33 % ) . Furthermore , adjunctive use of the acupressure device seemed to enhance patient satisfaction with their PONV management and quality of recovery at 48 hours after surgery . However , the recovery times to hospital discharge , resumption of normal physical activities , and return to work did not differ significantly between the 2 study groups . CONCLUSION : Use of the Pressure Right acupressure device in combination with antiemetic drugs provided a reduction in the incidence of vomiting from 0 to 72 hours after surgery with an associated improvement in patient satisfaction with their PONV management . However , recovery and outcome variables failed to demonstrate any improvement with the addition of the acupressure device Acupressure is a complementary and alternative medicine ( CAM ) treatment using fingertips to stimulate acupoints on the skin . Although suggested to improve cognitive function , acupressure has not been previously investigated with a controlled design in traumatic brain injury ( TBI ) survivors , who could particularly benefit from a non-pharmacological intervention for cognitive impairment . A r and omized , placebo-controlled , single-blind design assessed the effects of acupressure ( eight treatments over 4 weeks ) on cognitive impairment and state of being following TBI , including assessment of event-related potentials ( ERPs ) during Stroop and auditory oddball tasks . It was hypothesized that active acupressure treatments would confer greater cognitive improvement than placebo treatments , perhaps because of enhanced relaxation response induction and result ing stress reduction . Significant treatment effects were found comparing pre- to post-treatment change between groups . During the Stroop task , the active-treatment group showed greater reduction in both P300 latency ( p = 0.010 , partial η² = 0.26 ) and amplitude ( p = 0.011 , partial η² = 0.26 ) , as well as a reduced Stroop effect on accuracy ( p = 0.008 , partial η² = 0.21 ) than did the placebo group . Additionally , the active-treatment group improved more than did the placebo group on the digit span test ( p = 0.043 , Cohen 's d = 0.68 ) . Together , these results suggest an enhancement in working memory function associated with active treatments . Because acupressure emphasizes self-care and can be taught to novice individuals , it warrants further study as an adjunct treatment for TBI Introduction . The reduction of the duration and pain of the active phase of labor is a very important issue and therefore always under serious investigation . Objective . The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the effect of acupressure at the Sanyinjiao point ( SP6 ) on the duration and pain of the active phase of labor in nulliparas women . Method . A single blind r and omized clinical trial was performed on 120 eligible nulliparas women who were at the beginning of active phase of labor ( 3 - 4 cm dilatation of cervix plus proper uterine contractions ) . The women were r and omly assigned into two groups . The case group ( n = 60 ) , received acupressure at Sanyinjiao point ( above the ankle ) , for 30 min during contractions . In the control group ( n = 60 ) , simply a touch at this point without massage was performed . Two hours later a second pelvic examination was performed and in the absence of good forceful contractions oxytocin in the classical form was infused . Finally , duration of active phase , severity of pain ( using the Visual Analogue Scale ) , the amount of necessary oxytocin and necessity to administer oxytocin and the route of delivery were compared between the two groups and statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 15 . Results . The mean duration of active phase was shorter in the case group ( 252.37 + /- 108.50 min vs. 441.38 + /- 155.88 , p = 0.0001 ) . Six patients ( 10 % ) in the case group and 25 patients ( 41.7 % ) in the control group delivered via cesarean section ( p = 0.0001 ) . The severity of pain in the case group was less than the control group ( 5.87 + /- 1.77 vs. 6.79 + /- 1.52 , p = 0.003 ) . Twenty-five women ( 41.7 % ) in the case group and 38 women ( 63.3 % ) in the control group needed  oxytocin  ( p = 0.017 ) The amount of necessary oxytocin  in the case group was less than the control group ( 73.33 + /- 97.19 ml vs. 126.6 + /- 97.19 ml , p = 0.003 ) . Conclusion . Acupressure at Sanyinjiao point ( SP6 ) reduced the duration and severity of pain of the active phase of labor , cesarean section rates , and necessity and amount of oxytocin OBJECTIVE Our purpose was to investigate the efficacy of P6 acupressure in reducing or relieving symptoms of nausea with or without vomiting and retching  during pregnancy . STUDY DESIGN Symptomatic pregnant volunteers ( n=161 ) participated in a 7-day community-based clinical trial . All participants were assigned to one of three groups ( i.e. , P6 acupressure , placebo [ acupressure b and s inappropriately placed ] , or control ) on the basis of a process of blocked r and omization . Data were analyzed by error bar charts and analysis of variance of difference scores . RESULTS Of 161 women , 149 ( 92.5 % ) completed the protocol . Irrespective of group assignment , participants reported significant decreases in nausea ( p<0.0009 ) and vomiting or retching ( p<0.0009 ) . However , there was no differential treatment effect as a result of acupressure . CONCLUSION There was no apparent medical benefit from the use of P6 acupressure . Our findings differ from other recently published studies that did not include a control group OBJECTIVES The onset of depression is often triggered by breathlessness in persons with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD ) . It is hypothesized that these are the psychologic consequences of chronic dyspnea . Lessening dyspnea might alleviate depressive symptoms . Acupressure has been shown in other studies to produce relaxation . The aim of this study was to determine if it would lessen dyspnea and reduce depression in patients with COPD . SUBJECTS AND DESIGN Subjects diagnosed with COPD were chosen from one medical center and three regional hospitals in Taipei , Taiwan . A r and omized , block experimental design was used , with subjects and the data collector blinded . Using age , gender , pulmonary function , smoking , and steroid use as matching factors , 44 subjects were r and omly assigned to either the true acupressure or the sham acupressure groups . The true acupressure group received a program of acupressure using appropriate acupoints that promote relaxation and relieve dyspnea . The sham acupressure group received acupressure using sham acupoints different from the meridians and ganglionic sections of the true acupressure group . Both acupressure programs lasted 4 weeks , with five sessions per week that lasted 16 minutes per session . OUTCOME MEASURES The Geriatric Depression Scale ( GDS ) and Dyspnea Visual Analogue Scale ( DVAS ) were administered prior to the program as a baseline , and again following the completion of the 4-week program . Oxygen saturation and other physiological indicators were measured before and after each session . RESULTS The results of this study showed that the GDS scores , DVAS scores , oxygen saturation , and physiological indicators of the true acupressure group were significantly improved , compared to those of the sham acupressure group . CONCLUSIONS These findings provide health professionals with an evidence -based intervention to use with persons with COPD . Applying this acupressure program in clinical practice , communities , and long-term care units may lessen chronic dyspnea and depression in persons with COPD INTRODUCTION Most women have experienced child birth and its pain , which is inevitable . If this pain is not controlled it leads to prolonged labor and injury to the mother and fetus . This study was conducted to identify the effect of acupressure on sanyinjiao and hugo points on delivery pain in nulliparous women . METHODS This was a r and omized controlled clinical trial on 84 nulliparous women in hospitals of Ardebil , Iran . The participants were divided by r and omized blocks of 4 and 6 into two groups . The intervention was in the form of applying pressure at sanyinjiao and hugo points based on different dilatations . The intensity of the pain before and after the intervention was recorded by visual scale of pain assessment . To determine the effect of pressure on the intensity of labor pain , analytical descriptive test was conducted in SPSS ( version 13 ) . RESULTS There was a significant decrease in mean intensity of pain after each intervention in the experimental group with different dilatations ( 4 , 6 , 8 , and 10 cm ) . Moreover , the Student 's independent t-test results indicated that the mean intensity of pain in the experimental group after the intervention in all four dilatations was significantly lower than the control group . Repeated measures ANOVA test indicated that in both experimental and control groups in four time periods , there was a statistically significant difference . CONCLUSION Acupressure on sanyinjiao and hugo points decreases the labor pain . Therefore , this method can be used effectively in the labor process Background : The Le7 acupoint had been known as an acupoint for reducing pain of appendicitis . However , no study on the effect of its acupressure on post-appendectomy pain is available . The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of acupressure of Le7 acupoint on pain , nausea , and vomiting after appendectomy . Material s and Methods : A single-blind r and omized controlled trial was conducted on 70 post-appendectomy patients in a general surgical ward . Patients with inclusion criteria were selected consecutively and were r and omly assigned into two groups . The intervention group received acupressure to the Le7 acupoint and the second group was the control group . The severity of post-operative pain , nausea , and vomiting measured hourly till the seventh post-operative hour . T-test was used to compare the mean of pain and nausea severity of two groups . Paired t-test was used to compare the mean of pain intensity of each group before and total mean of pain at post-intervention hours . Chi-squared test and Fisher exact test were used for nominal data . Results : The mean of pain intensity in the intervention group was 5.10 ± 3.52 before intervention and decreased to 3.53 ± 0.75 in the post-operative hours ( P = 0.018 ) . The mean of pain intensity in the control group was 4.45 ± 3.16 before intervention and changed to 4.01 ± 0.92 in the post-operative hours ( P = 0.32 ) . However , the mean of pain intensity in the intervention group was less than the control group till 6th h after the surgery . No significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of nausea and vomiting ( P = 0.74 ) . Conclusion : Acupressure on Le7 acupoint was effective on post-appendectomy pain but did not affect nausea and vomiting . Further investigations are suggested with starting acupressure at the onset of pain or nausea and vomiting Background Nested qualitative studies within clinical trials provide data on patients ’ experiences of receiving trial interventions and can inform and improve trial design s. The present study explored patients ’ experiences of participating in a r and omised controlled trial of acupressure wristb and s for chemotherapy related nausea . Methods A r and omised three-group sham-controlled trial was carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of acupressure wristb and s in the management of chemotherapy-related nausea . A convenience sample of 26 patients volunteered to participate in a qualitative study to explore their experiences of using acupressure wristb and s , and taking part in the clinical trial . Participants were recruited from each of the three UK geographical sites from which the trial was conducted : Manchester , Liverpool and Plymouth . In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with the participants in their own homes or other location convenient for participating patients . Interviews were audio-taped , transcribed verbatim and analysed using Framework methodology . Results The main motivational factors influencing participants to take part in the trial were a desire to ' give something back ’ and limit their own experience of nausea . Participants were largely satisfied with the organisation and running of the acupressure wristb and trial . Many participants experienced positive outcomes as a result of taking part in the trial . Lapses in memory , or poor health as a result of their chemotherapy treatment , led to some participants failing to complete trial paperwork on design ated days . Two sham wristb and participants reported wearing the b and s inappropriately result ing in pressure being applied to the acupoint . Almost all of the participants interviewed had only experienced mild nausea or vomiting during the trial . Participants were pragmatic on the extent to which the wristb and s were responsible for this lack of nausea and vomiting during the trial . However , many participants , including some patients receiving sham acupressure , believed the wristb and s to have had a positive impact on their nausea and vomiting ; there was a perception that the wristb and s were , at least in part , responsible for the lack of nausea and vomiting they had experienced . Conclusions Participants perceive acupressure wristb and s as reducing the level of nausea and vomiting experienced during chemotherapy treatment . Reports that some participants wore wristb and s inappropriately , and /or delayed completion of trial paperwork could represent confounding variables and have implication s for the trial results , and the design of clinical trials within the field of cancer OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effectiveness of acupressure applied at meridian P6 point for prevention of nausea and vomiting in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy . METHODOLOGY A r and omized double blind study was performed in 50 ASA I and II patients scheduled for laparoscopic cholecystectomy . Patients were divided into two groups ; control and placebo . In the control group acupressure was applied at P6 point half an hour before surgery while in the placebo group the acupressure b and was tied on meridian P6 point but the plastic bead was placed on the dosum of right forearm away from meridian P6 point . Patients were assessed for nausea and vomiting for six hours after surgery . Anaesthetic technique and postoperative analgesia were st and ardized for all patients . RESULTS Results showed that the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting was 36 % in the treatment group and 40 % in placebo group , which is statistically insignificant . CONCLUSION Application of acupressure at P6 point half an hour before induction of anaesthesia does not significantly alter the incidence of postoperative nausea and /or vomiting within 6 hours after surgery OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of acupressure at the P6 point for the in-patient treatment of severe nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy . STUDY DESIGN This was a prospect i ve single-blind r and omized control trial that involved 80 patients with nausea and vomiting plus ketonuria before 14 weeks of gestation . RESULTS There was no difference between length of stay , amount of medication , or fluid required between the acupressure and placebo groups , although acupressure reduced the number of patients who stayed > or = 4 nights in the hospital . Acupressure was well tolerated and not associated with an increase in perinatal morbidity or death . CONCLUSION The use of acupressure at the P6 point does not reduce the amount of antiemetic medication that is required , the requirement for intravenous fluid , and median duration of in-patient stay more than the use of placebo . A small reduction was seen in the number of women who required > or = 4 days in the hospital CONTEXT Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy ( BMAB ) is a frequently performed and painful procedure . OBJECTIVES To evaluate the efficacy of magnetic acupressure in reducing pain in cancer patients undergoing BMAB . METHODS Cancer patients without previous acupuncture or acupressure experience were stratified by the number of prior BMAB and r and omized to having magnetic acupressure delivered  to either the large intestine 4 ( LI4 ) acupoint or a sham site . The primary study endpoint was the patient 's pain intensity rating during the procedure using a visual analogue scale ( VAS ) . RESULTS Seventy-seven eligible patients received magnetic acupressure :  37 were r and omized to treatment at the LI4 site arm and 40 at the design ated sham site arm . There was no significant difference between the median pain scores of patients treated at the LI4 site and the sham site ( P=0.87 ) . However , severe pain ( VAS ≥ 7 ) was reported in only one patient ( 2.7 % ) treated at the LI4 site compared with eight patients ( 20 % ) at the sham site ( P=0.03 ) . No patients experienced significant magnetic acupressure-related toxicities . CONCLUSION Magnetic acupressure at the LI4 acupoint requires minimal training and expense and is well tolerated . Although its use did not significantly reduce median pain scores in patients undergoing BMAB , it does appear to reduce the proportion of patients with severe pain associated with this invasive procedure Objective : To evaluate the effectiveness of acupressure in reducing nausea and vomiting of pregnancy .  Methods : Symptomatic pregnant women were r and omized to one of two acupressure groups : one treatment group using an acupressure point ( PC-6 ) and one sham control group using a placebo point . Subjects were blind to the group assignment . Each evening for 10 consecutive days , the subjects completed an assessment scale describing the severity and frequency of symptoms that occurred . Data from the first 3 days were used as pre-treatment scores . Beginning on the morning of the fourth day , each subject used acupressure at her assigned point for 10 minutes four times a day . Data from day 4 were discarded to allow 24 hours for the treatment to take effect . Data from days 5 - 7 were used to measure treatment effect . Results : Sixty women completed the study . There were no differences between groups in attrition  ,  parity , fetal number , maternal age , gestational age at entry , or pre-treatment nausea and emesis scores . Analysis of variance indicated that both groups improved significantly over time , but that nausea improved significantly more in the treatment group than in the sham control group ( F1,58=10.4 , P = .0021 ) . There were no differences in the severity or frequency of emesis between the groups . There was a significant positive correlation ( r=0.261 , P = .044 ) between maternal age and severity of nausea . Conclusion : Our results indicate that acupressure at the PC-6 anatomical site is effective in reducing symptoms of nausea but not frequency of vomiting in pregnant women Nausea and vomiting are major adverse effects during spinal anesthesia for cesarean delivery . Stimulation of the P6 ( Neiguan ) acupoint is a traditional Chinese acupuncture technique used for effective antiemetic purpose s. In this study , we evaluated the antiemetic effect of P6 acupressure in parturients during spinal anesthesia for cesarean delivery . In a r and omized , double-blind , controlled trial , 110 parturients scheduled for elective cesarean delivery were enrolled in the study . Thirty minutes before initiation of spinal anesthesia , parturients were r and omized to acupressure b and s or placebo b and s bilaterally on the P6 acupoint and nausea and vomiting were observed over the study period . There were no statistically significant differences in maternal characteristics . Incidence rates for intraoperative nausea were 64 % ( acupressure group ) and 71 % ( control group ) ( P = 0.416 ) , with an incidence of intraoperative vomiting of 22 % ( acupressure group ) and 27 % ( control group ) ( P = 0.506 ) . The results suggest that prophylactic use of acupressure b and s bilaterally on the P6 acupoint failed to prevent nausea and vomiting during spinal anesthesia for cesarean delivery The efficacy of acupressure at the P6 point in the prevention of nausea and vomiting during and after Caesarean section was studied . A double-blind , r and omized controlled study of acupressure vs placebo was design ed . Ninety-four patients scheduled for Caesarean section were included . The anaesthetic technique and postoperative analgesia were st and ardized . The use of acupressure reduced the incidence of nausea or vomiting from 53 % to 23 % compared with placebo ( 95 % confidence interval ( CI ) 0.34 - 0.25 ; P = 0.002 ) during the operation and from 66 % to 36 % compared with placebo ( 95 % CI 0.34 - 0.19 ; P = 0.003 ) after the operation . Other variables were similar between the groups Background The results of many clinical trials and experimental studies regarding acupoint specificity are contradictory . This review aims to investigate whether a difference in efficacy exists between ordinary acupuncture  on specific acupoints and sham acupuncture controls on non-acupoints or on irrelevant acupoints . Methods Data bases including Medline , Embase , AMED and Chinese Biomedical Data base were search ed to identify r and omized controlled trials published between 1998 and 2009 that compared  traditional body acupuncture  on acupoints  with sham acupuncture controls  on irrelevant acupoints or non-acupoints with the same needling depth . The Cochrane Collaboration 's tool for assessing risk of bias was employed to address the quality of the included trials . Results Twelve acupuncture clinical trials with sham acupuncture controls were identified and included in the review . The conditions treated varied . Half of the included trials had positive results on the primary outcomes and demonstrated acupoint specificity . However , among those six trials ( total sample size : 985 ) with low risk of bias , five trials ( sample size : 940 ) showed no statistically significant difference between proper and sham acupuncture treatments . Conclusion This review did not demonstrate the existence of acupoint specificity . Further clinical trials with larger sample sizes , optimal acupuncture treatment protocol s and appropriate sham acupuncture controls are required to resolve this important issue R and omized , placebo-controlled clinical trials are recommended for evaluation of a treatment 's efficacy with the goal of separating the specific effects ( verum ) from the non-specific ones ( placebo ) . In order to be able to carry out placebo-controlled acupuncture trials , minimal/sham acupuncture procedures and a sham acupuncture needle has been used with the intention of being inert . However , clinical and experimental results suggest that sham/minimal acupuncture is not inert since it is reported that both verum acupuncture and sham/minimal acupuncture induce a significant alleviation of pain . This alleviation is as pronounced as the alleviation obtained with st and ard treatment and more obvious than the one obtained with placebo medication or by the use of waiting list controls . These results also suggest that sham acupuncture needles evoke a physiological response . In healthy individuals  sham acupuncture results in activation of limbic structures , whereas a deactivation is seen in patients with pain , i.e. results from healthy individuals do not reflect what is seen in clinical conditions . Also , depending on the etiology of pain ( or any under clinical condition under investigation ) , the response to sham acupuncture is varying . The acupuncture ritual may also be seen as an emotional focused therapy allowing for psychological re-orientation . Sham needling in such context may be as powerful as verum acupuncture . We recommend that the evaluated effects of acupuncture could be compared with those of st and ard treatment , also taking the individual response into consideration , before its use or non-use is established OBJECTIVE The current study was conducted to evaluate the effect of acupressure on primary dysmenorrhea in Iranian medical sciences students . DESIGN A r and omized controlled pre and post-test design was employed to verify the effects of SP6 acupressure on dysmenorrhea . SETTING A total of 30 young college female students with primary dysmenorrhea were r and omly allocated to intervention ( n = 15 ) and control ( n = 15 ) groups . INTERVENTION The intervention group received SP6 acupressure during menstruation cycle and the control group received light touch on the SP6 acupoint . Using a Visual Analog Scale , the severity of dysmenorrhea was assessed prior to and immediately , 30 min , 1 , 2 , and 3 h following treatment . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Data were analyzed using X(2 ) , t-test and ANOVA statistical tests . RESULTS Significant differences were observed in the scores of dysmenorrhea between the two groups immediately after ( 3.50 ± 1.42 vs. 5.06 ± 1.43 , p = 0.004 ) and also 3 h after treatment ( 1.66 ± 1.98 vs. 4.80 ± 1.37 , p = 0.000 ) . CONCLUSIONS Acupressure on the SP6 meridian can be an effective non-invasive nursing intervention for alleviating primary dysmenorrhea and its effects last for 3 h post-treatment The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of acupressure b and s , droperidol , and the combined modalities , administered preoperatively , in reducing PONV in inpatient gynecologic patients . One hundred and forty-three patients were r and omized to one of four groups : droperidol and acupressure b and s , droperidol and placebo b and s , placebo drug and acupressure b and s , or placebo drug and placebo b and s. Overall , during their hospital stay , 69 % of the women experienced PONV and 45 % experienced vomiting at some time . Although droperidol was most effective the day of surgery , neither acupressure b and s or droperidol were effective in reducing PONV OBJECTIVE To find out whether acupressure wristb and can alleviate  nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy . DESIGN Double-blind , placebo-controlled study . SUBJECTS 97 women with mean gestational length completed 8 - 12 weeks . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Symptoms were recorded according to intensity , duration and nature of complaints . RESULTS 71 % of women in the intervention group reported both less intensive morning sickness and reduced duration of symptoms . The same tendency was seen in the placebo group , with 59 % reporting less intensity and 63 % shorter duration of symptoms . However , a significance level of 5 % was reached only in the case of duration of symptoms , which was reduced by 2.74 hours in the intervention group compared to 0.85 hours in the placebo group ( p = 0.018 ) . CONCLUSIONS Acupressure wristb and might be an alternative therapy for morning sickness in early pregnancy , especially before pharmaceutical treatment is considered CONTEXT Acupuncture is widely used to prevent migraine attacks , but the available evidence of its benefit is scarce . OBJECTIVE To investigate the effectiveness of acupuncture compared with sham acupuncture and with no acupuncture in patients with migraine . DESIGN , SETTING , AND PATIENTS Three-group , r and omized , controlled trial ( April 2002-January 2003 ) involving 302 patients ( 88 % women ) , mean ( SD ) age of 43 ( 11 ) years , with migraine headaches , based on International Headache Society criteria . Patients were treated at 18 outpatient centers in Germany . INTERVENTIONS Acupuncture , sham acupuncture , or waiting list control . Acupuncture and sham acupuncture were administered by specialized physicians and consisted of 12 sessions per patient over 8 weeks . Patients completed headache diaries from 4 weeks before to 12 weeks after r and omization and from week 21 to 24 after r and omization . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Difference in headache days of moderate or severe intensity between the 4 weeks before and weeks 9 to 12 after r and omization . RESULTS Between baseline and weeks 9 to 12 , the mean ( SD ) number of days with headache of moderate or severe intensity decreased by 2.2 ( 2.7 ) days from a baseline of 5.2 ( 2.5 ) days in the acupuncture group compared with a decrease to 2.2 ( 2.7 ) days from a baseline of 5.0 ( 2.4 ) days in the sham acupuncture group , and by 0.8 ( 2.0 ) days from a baseline if 5.4 ( 3.0 ) days in the waiting list group . No difference was detected between the acupuncture and the sham acupuncture groups ( 0.0 days , 95 % confidence interval , -0.7 to 0.7 days ; P = .96 ) while there was a difference between the acupuncture group compared with the waiting list group ( 1.4 days ; 95 % confidence interval ; 0.8 - 2.1 days ; P<.001 ) . The proportion of responders ( reduction in headache days by at least 50 % ) was 51 % in the acupuncture group , 53 % in the sham acupuncture group , and 15 % in the waiting list group . CONCLUSION Acupuncture was no more effective than sham acupuncture in reducing migraine headaches although both interventions were more effective than a waiting list control OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of P6 acupressure on  vertigo and neurovegetative symptoms , its possible interference with vestibular-ocular reflex ( VOR ) , and its clinical usefulness during acute vertigo . MATERIAL S AND METHODS Two hundred and four patients , either affected by acute vertigo ( n=124 ) or undergoing labyrinth stimulation ( n=80 ) , were r and omly divided in two homogeneous groups : an experimental group A and a placebo group B. Each patient rated severity of vertigo and neurovegetative symptoms on a visuo-analogue scale ranging from 0 to 10 , before and after bilateral placement of a P6 device . The latter was placed on the P6 acupressure point ( appropriate placement ) in Group A patients or on the dorsal part of the carpus ( inappropriate placement ) in the Group B patients . Furthermore , qualitative and quantitative nystagmus parameters were collected via recorded video-oculoscopy and electronystagmography . RESULTS Eighty-five percent of Group A patients reported improvement of symptoms , which was significant for neurovegetative symptoms , but not for vertigo . In contrast , only 11 % of the Group B patients reported improvement . VOR analysis did not show any significant variation of qualitative and quantitative nystagmus variables . CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrated that the P6 device is effective in improving neurovegetative symptoms in patients affected by spontaneous and provoked vertigo , without any interference with VOR . Given the low cost and lack of side-effects of the P6 device , its routine application is suggested for acute vertigo and during labyrinth stimulation OBJECTIVES Identifying a non-pharmacological intervention to reduce the stress response could be particularly beneficial to college students , a group prone to considerable stress . Acupressure has shown some efficacy in reducing stress in adults following stroke or traumatic brain injury ( TBI ) , but multiple treatments were required . Results from single treatments in healthy population s have been mixed . DESIGN The current study used a r and omised , placebo-controlled , single-blind design to investigate the use of a single acupressure treatment for stress reduction in healthy college students ( n=109 ) during a stressor . INTERVENTIONS Participants were r and omly assigned to one of three single , 40-min interventions : active acupressure , placebo acupressure , or a relaxation CD control . A math task stressor administered before and after the intervention assessed intervention effects on stressor responsivity . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Stress responses were measured by physiological ( heart rate ( HR ) , heart rate variability ( HRV ) , skin conductance response ( SCR ) ) and subjective measures ( State Anxiety Inventory , nine-item Psychological Stress Measure ) of anxiety and stress . RESULTS All interventions were associated with the following changes during the post-intervention stressor compared to the pre-intervention stressor : reduced HR ( p<0.001 ) , increased HRV ( p<0.024 ) , reduced SCR ( p<0.001 ) , reduced subjective stress scores ( p<0.001 ) , and increased correct answers ( p<0.001 ) . Although all groups demonstrated stress reduction , there were no significant group differences after a single treatment . CONCLUSIONS All interventions significantly reduced the stress response , although not differently . The lack of active acupressure-associated treatment effects appears to be due to insufficient dosing INTRODUCTION Complementary and alternative medicines have been used to decrease labor pain for many years . Despite reports that some of these methods reduce pain , increase maternal satisfaction , and improve other obstetric outcomes , they have received limited attention in the US medical literature . The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of LI4 acupressure on labor pain in the first stage of labor , on labor duration , and on patient satisfaction . METHODS A single , blind , r and omized clinical trial was performed with eligible women ( N = 100 ) who were at the beginning of the active phase of labor ( 3 - 4 cm dilatation of cervix with regular uterine contractions ) . The women in the acupressure group ( n = 50 ) received LI4 acupressure at the onset of the active phase for the duration of each uterine contraction over a period of 20 minutes , and the women in the control group ( n = 50 ) received a touch on this point without massage .  Labor pain was measured using a structured question naire of a subjective labor pain scale ( visual analogue scale ) before the intervention , immediately after the intervention , 20 and 60 minutes after the intervention , and then every hour . RESULTS There were significant differences between the groups in subjective labor pain scores immediately and 20 , 60 , and 120 minutes after intervention ( P ≤ .001 ) . Active phase duration ( 3 - 4 cm dilatation to full dilatation ) and second stage duration ( full dilatation to birth ) were shorter in the acupressure group . The women in the acupressure group reported greater satisfaction . DISCUSSION LI4 acupressure was effective at decreasing pain and duration of labor . The participants were satisfied , and no adverse effects were noted In this r and omized double-blind trial we investigated the effect of acupressure on the incidence of  nausea and vomiting after caesarean section under spinal anaesthesia with added intrathecal morphine . Parturients wore either acupressure or placebo wristb and s during surgery and postoperatively for at least 10 h. There was no significant difference overall between the two groups in the incidence of intra- or postoperative nausea or vomiting/retching . Dem and for antiemetic medication was also similar in the two groups . However , in the sub-group of parturients who gave a previous history of  postoperative nausea or vomiting  , there was a statistically significant reduction in both postoperative nausea and vomiting/retching in the acupressure group . Further investigations are needed to see whether acupressure may be an effective non-pharmacological , non-invasive treatment for a common problem in this sub-group of patients Background and objectives : To evaluate the effectiveness of acupressure in preventing nausea and vomiting in patients undergoing gynaecological operations and receiving a patient‐controlled analgesia device . Methods : Patients aged between 40 and 65 yr were included . Exclusion criteria were obesity , diabetes mellitus , and history of motion sickness , postoperative nausea and vomiting , or smoking . Patients were r and omized into one of two groups , acupressure and control . In the acupressure group , acupressure b and s were placed on both wrists with the plastic bead positioned at the P6 point . In controls , beads were placed at a non‐acupoint site . All patients received a st and ard general anaesthetic . Postoperatively , patients were connected to a patient‐controlled analgesia device with morphine ( loading dose 5 mg , background infusion 1 mg h−1 , bolus dose 1 mg and lock‐out time 10 min ) . Pain and sedation scores , respiratory rate , heart rate , arterial pressure and oxygen saturation were recorded for 24 h. Metoclopramide 10 mg was administered intravenously as a rescue antiemetic . Results : Fifty patients received acupressure and 50 were controls . In the acupressure group , 33 % of patients had nausea compared with 63 % controls . The cumulative incidence of vomiting at 24 h was 25 % with acupressure and 61 % in controls . The incidence of nausea , vomiting and antiemetic use was significantly lower with acupressure . Conclusions : Acupressure at the P6 meridian point is an effective alternative for the prevention of nausea and vomiting in patients receiving patient‐controlled analgesia with morphine after gynaecological surgery PURPOSE / OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effectiveness of ST-36 ( Zusanli ) acupressure on recovery of postoperative gastrointestinal function in patients with colorectal cancer . DESIGN A longitudinal , r and omized , controlled trial design . SETTING An urban medical center in Taiwan . SAMPLE 60 patients with colorectal cancer who had undergone abdominal surgery . METHODS Patients were r and omly assigned to two groups , the ST-36 acupressure group ( n = 30 ) and a sham acupressure group ( n = 30 ) . Patients in the ST-36 group received an acupressure procedure in a three-minute cycle performed three times per day during the five days after surgery . Patients in the control group received routine postoperative care and sham acupressure . Generalized estimating equations ( GEEs ) were used to gauge longitudinal effects of the two groups of patients . MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES Frequency of bowel sounds , the time to first flatus passage , first liquid intake , solid intake , and defecation . FINDINGS Patients who received acupressure had significantly earlier flatus passage and time to liquid intake as compared to patients in the control group . Other main variables , including the first time to solid intake and defecation , did not show significant difference between the two groups . The GEE method revealed that all patients had increasing bowel sounds over time , and the experimental group had greater improvement of bowel motility than the control group within the period of 2 - 3 days postoperatively . CONCLUSIONS ST-36 acupressure was able to shorten the time to first flatus passage , oral liquid intake , and improve gastrointestinal function in patients after abdominal surgery . IMPLICATION S FOR NURSING ST-36 acupressure can be integrated into postoperative adjunct nursing care to assist patients ' postoperative gastrointestinal function . KNOWLEDGE TRANSLATION Few studies have explored the effectiveness of acupressure techniques on promoting bowel sounds . Evidence from this study suggests stimulation of the ST-36 acupressure point can increase bowel sound frequency for patients with colorectal cancer in the first three days after surgery . Application of this technique may improve a patient 's comfort after surgery BACKGROUND Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD ) suffer from dyspnoea in their daily life and this may be increased by anxiety . Acupressure may promote relaxation and relieve dyspnoea . Thus , it is appropriate to explore the effectiveness of acupressure on dyspnoea in patients with COPD . AIMS To compare outcomes of acupressure using sham acupoints on different meridians and ganglionic sections with that using true acupoints , in patients with COPD who are living at home . METHODS Patients diagnosed with COPD were selected from a medical centre and three regional hospitals in Taipei . A r and omized block experimental design was used . Using age , sex , pulmonary function , smoking , and steroid use as matching factors , 44 patients were r and omly assigned either to a true acupoint acupressure or a sham group . The true acupoint acupressure group received a programme to decrease dyspnoea . Those in the sham group received acupressure using sham pressure points . Both acupressure programmes consisted of five sessions per week lasting 16 minutes per session , extending over 4 weeks for a total of 20 sessions . Before acupressure was initiated and at the conclusion of the 20th session , the Pulmonary Functional Status and Dyspnoea Question naire-modified scale and the Spielberger State Anxiety scale were administered , and a 6-minute walking distance test was performed . Physiological indicators of oxygen saturation and respiratory rate were measured before and after every session . RESULTS The results of this study showed that the pulmonary function and dyspnoea scores , 6-minute walking distance measurements , state anxiety scale scores , and physiological indicators of the true acupoint acupressure group improved significantly compared with those of the sham group . CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest that acupressure can be used as a nursing intervention to improve dyspnoea in patients with COPD BACKGROUND Acupressure on the Shenmen point ( indexed as HT7 ) can improve insomnia , but there has been no longitudinal study to evaluate its efficacy for residents of long-term care facilities . No evidence from the existing literature indicates how long its efficacy can be maintained after stopping acupressure . OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of acupressure on the Shenmen point for residents of long-term care facilities with insomnia .  METHODS Fifty residents with insomnia in long-term care facilities were enrolled in a r and omized controlled trial , with 25 participants allocated to the experimental group and 25 participants to the control group . For a 5-week period , the experimental group received st and ard acupressure on the HT7 points of both wrists , whereas the control group received only light touch on the same places .  Insomnia was measured with the Athens Insomnia Scale-Taiwan form ( AIS-T ) . Participants ' self-reported scores were done at baseline , during the 5-week period , and after intervention . This study was analyzed on an intention-to-treat procedure . RESULTS The experimental group has significantly better scores on the AIS-T compared to the control group , not only during the intervention period , but also extending after intervention , as shown by generalized estimating equations ( p<0.05 ) . CONCLUSIONS Offering acupressure on a regular basis has the potential to improve insomnia in residents of long-term care facilities .  Acupressure on the HT7 point may improve insomnia for up to 2 weeks after the intervention Background : Acupuncture and acupressure have previously been reported to possess antiemetic effect . We wanted to investigate the “ true ” and placebo effect of acupressure in prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting ( PONV ) OBJECTIVES This study 's objective was to examine the effectiveness of Sanyinjiao point ( SP6 ) acupressure on women 's general health .  DESIGN This was a r and omized , single-blind clinical trial . SETTING The setting for this trial was at Medical University , Bojnoord University of Medical Science , Bojnoord , Iran . MATERIAL S AND METHODS Eighty-six ( 86 ) university students were recruited for this study . Their demographic characteristics were gathered before the intervention commenced . Participants completed General Health Question naires ( GHQ ) prior to participation . Next , they were r and omly assigned to either the acupressure-receiving group or the sham-pressure-receiving group . The study group received acupressure at the Sanyinjiao point , while the control group received sham pressure . OUTCOME MEASURES Both groups completed GHQ after both the first and second months of intervention . Data analysis was carried out using SPSS version 13.5 for Windows . RESULTS The mean age of those who completed the study was 20.84±1.64 years . Mean scores of GHQs were similar between groups before intervention ( p>0.05 ) . The general health of participants in both groups improved after intervention , and the amelioration in four domains was significant in the groups ( p<0.05 within group ) . It was found that acupressure was more effective  than sham pressure . In addition , there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups in the four domains of their general heath after the first month of the intervention ( p<0.0001 ) . Furthermore , the general health status of the participants changed much more after the second month in both the acupressure intervention and the sham pressure groups ; nevertheless , acupressure was more effective than sham pressure ( p<0.05 ) . CONCLUSIONS Both acupressure and sham pressure were effective in promoting women 's general health ; nevertheless , the efficacy of acupressure was more than that of sham pressure . SP6 acupressure could be regarded as a self-manageable approach to improve women 's general health OBJECTIVES To assess the effectiveness of continuous PC6 acupressure as an adjunct to antiemetic drug therapy in the prevention and control of nausea and vomiting in the first 24h after myocardial infa rct ion ( MI ) . DESIGN Partially r and omised , partially blinded placebo-controlled , exploratory clinical study . SETTING Coronary Care Unit , Torbay Hospital , Torquay , Devon . PARTICIPANTS A total of 301 consecutive patients ( 205 males , 96 females ) admitted following acute MI . INTERVENTION The first 125 patients recruited received no additional intervention . Subsequent patients were r and omised to receive either continuous PC6 acupressure or placebo acupressure . OUTCOME MEASURES ( 1 ) Incidence of post-MI nausea and /or vomiting , ( 2 ) severity of symptoms , ( 3 ) use of antiemetic drugs , over 24h . RESULTS There were no significant differences between the groups for the whole 24-h treatment period . However , the PC6 acupressure group experienced significantly lower incidence of nausea and /or vomiting during the last 20h ( 18 % ) , compared with the placebo ( 32 % ) or control ( 43 % ) groups ( P<0.05 ) . The severity of symptoms and the need for antiemetic drugs were also reduced in the acupressure group , but these differences were not statistically significant . CONCLUSIONS Continuous 24-h PC6 acupressure therapy as an adjunct to st and ard antiemetic medication for post-MI nausea and vomiting is feasible and is well accepted and tolerated by patients . In view of its benefits , further studies are worthwhile using earlier onset of treatment BACKGROUND Pain during transportation is a common phenomenon in emergency medicine . As acupressure has been deemed effective for pain management by the National Institutes of Health , we conducted a study to evaluate its effectiveness in prehospital patients with isolated distal radial fracture . METHODS This was a prospect i ve , r and omized , double-blind study . Thirty-two patients were enrolled .  Acupressure was performed either at " true " points or at " sham " points .  Vital signs and pain and anxiety scores were recorded before and after the acupressure treatment . Normally distributed values were compared using the Student t test . RESULTS Pretreatment scores for pain and anxiety were similar in the 2 groups ( 47.6 + /- 8.9 vs 51.2 + /- 8.7 visual analog scale [ VAS ] score for pain , 52.4 + /- 6.0 vs 47.5 + /- 9.3 VAS score for anxiety ) . At the hospital , patients in the true-points group had significantly lower pain ( 36.6 + /- 11.0 vs 56.0 + /- 13.3 VAS score , P < .001 ) and anxiety scores ( 34.9 + /- 22.2 vs 53.4 + /- 19.7 VAS score , P = .022 ) . CONCLUSION Acupressure in the prehospital setting effectively reduces pain and anxiety in patients with distal radial trauma Untreated pain during the transportation of patients after minor trauma is a common problem in emergency medicine . Because paramedics usually are not allowed to perform invasive procedures or to give drugs for pain treatment , a noninvasive , nondrug-based method would be helpful . Acupressure is a traditional Chinese treatment for pain that is based on pain relief followed by a short mechanical stimulation of specific points . Consequently , we tested the hypothesis that effective pain therapy is possible by paramedics who are trained in acupressure . In a double-blinded trial we included 60 trauma patients . We r and omly assigned them into three groups ( “ true points , ” “ sham-points , ” and “ no acupressure ” ) . An independent observer , blinded to the treatment assignment , recorded vital variables and visual analog scales for pain and anxiety before and after treatment . At the end of transport , we asked for ratings of overall satisfaction . For statistical evaluation , one-way analysis of variance and the Scheffé F test were used . P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant . Morphometric and demographic data and potential confounding factors such as age , sex , pain , anxiety , blood pressure , and heart rate before treatment did not differ among the groups . At the end of transport we found significantly less pain , anxiety , and heart rate and a greater satisfaction in the “ true points ” groups ( P < 0.01 ) . Our results show that acupressure is an effective and simple-to-learn treatment of pain in emergency trauma care and leads to an improvement of the quality of care in emergency transport . We suggest that this technique is easy to learn and risk free and may improve paramedic-based rescue systems Introduction There is some evidence for the efficacy of acupuncture , but it remains unclear whether trigger point acupuncture is effective . Our objective was to evaluate the effects of trigger point acupuncture on pain and quality of life in chronic low back pain patients compared with sham acupuncture . Methods Twenty-six consecutive out- patients ( 17 women , 9 men ; age range : 65–91 years ) from the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery , Meiji University of Oriental Medicine , with non-radiating low back pain for at least six months and normal neurological examination , were r and omised to two groups . Each group received one phase of trigger point acupuncture and one of sham acupuncture with a three week washout period between them , over 12 weeks . Group A ( n=13 ) received trigger point acupuncture in the first phase and sham acupuncture in the second . Group B ( n=13 ) received the same interventions in the reverse order . Outcome measures were pain intensity ( visual analogue scale , VAS ) and Rol and Morris Question naire . Results Nineteen patients were included in the analysis . At the end of the first treatment phase , group A receiving trigger point acupuncture scored significantly lower VAS ( P<0.001 ) and Rol and Morris Question naire scores ( P<0.01 ) than the sham control group . There were significant within-group reductions in pain in both groups during the trigger point acupuncture phase but not in the sham treatment phase . However , the beneficial effects were not sustained . Conclusion These results suggest that trigger point acupuncture may have greater short term effects on low back pain in elderly patients than sham acupuncture The efficacy of acupressure therapy in managing urodynamic stress incontinence has not been fully investigated . This study evaluates the effects of a vali date d acupressure protocol for treating women with urodynamic stress incontinence . A r and omized , single-blinded , placebo-controlled trial with a before- and -after study design was conducted . Eighty-one women aged between 18 and 60 were recruited at a urogynecology clinic in an acute hospital in Hong Kong . Participants were r and omly assigned to an intervention ( acupressure ) group , a sham group , or a usual care ( control ) group . A vali date d acupressure protocol was employed in the intervention group . The intervention comprised three weekly sessions of 30 minutes each for a total of thirty sessions . Outcome measures included pelvic floor muscle strength , number of episodes of urine leakage over four days , self-reported severity of urine leakage , and responses on the Chinese version of the King 's Health Question naire . No adverse effects were reported . Five percent of the participants dropped out of the study . Intention-to-treat analysis was conducted , the results indicated significant differences in pelvic floor muscle strength across the three groups ( H = 7.05 , p = 0.03 ) and in self-reported severity of urine leakage between the intervention and control groups ( Z = -2.48 , p = 0.01 ) . Significant improvement in all domains of the Chinese version of the King 's Health Question naire was evident in the intervention group . Acupressure is a simple and non-invasive intervention that appears to have positive physiological and psychological effects on women with urodynamic stress incontinence . The findings support acupressure as an intervention option for managing urodynamic stress incontinence in women The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of acupressure on gastrointestinal ( GI ) motility in women after trans-abdominal hysterectomy ( TAH ) . Patients were r and omly assigned into two groups of 21 and 20 patients each . The experimental group received acupressure for 3 minutes at each of three meridian points : Neiguan ( PC-6 ) , Zusanli ( ST-36 ) and Sanyinjiao ( SP-6 ) . The control group received 3 minutes of acupressure on sham points . Acupressure was performed twice a day . A question naire was used to determine patients ' satisfaction prior to and after afternoon acupressure . GI contractions were measured with a multifunctional stethoscope before and after acupressure . Acupressure of these three meridian points significantly ( p < 0.05 ) increased GI motility in the experimental group , but there was little change in the control group ( p > 0.05 ) . Our conclusions are that non-invasive acupressure of these meridian points can significantly improve GI motility and can be incorporated into the technical curriculum and clinical education program of nursing schools . Patients and their family members can be taught to continue this procedure at home to enhance GI motility in patients who have undergone TAH INTRODUCTION Sleep disturbances are very common in elderly people and Traditional Chinese acupressure a noninvasive technique that promotes health and comfort recently has been used in this regard . The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the potential beneficial effects of acupressure on a group of institutionalized elders experiencing sleep disturbances . METHOD A r and omized controlled clinical trial was conducted to test the effectiveness of acupressure on quality of sleep of elderly residing in a Nursing home . The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality index ( PSQI ) question naire was used as a screening tool to select 90 residents with moderate to marked sleep disturbances . The elders were r and omly assigned to an acupressure group , a sham acupressure group and a control group by Balanced r and omization method . RESULTS There were significant differences between the acupressure group and the control group in subjective sleep quality , sleep latency , sleep duration , habitual sleep efficiency and sleep disturbance . But no significant differences were found in sleep indices between the sham acupressure group and the control group . Sleep log data showed a significant decrease in nocturnal awakenings in acupressure group compared to other two groups . CONCLUSION The findings of this study indicated that acupressure has an effect on improvement of sleep quality and endorsed it as a non-pharmacological and complementary therapy for sleep-disturbed elderly people Purpose To investigate the effect of sensory stimulation of the P6 point on postoperative nausea and vomiting ( PONV )  after gynecological surgery in the everyday clinical setting ( effectiveness study ) . Methods Four hundred and ten women undergoing general anesthesia for elective gynecological surgery were included in a prospect i ve , consecutive , r and omized , multicentre , placebo-controlled , double-blind clinical trial with a reference group . One group was given bilateral P6 acupressure ( n = 135 ) , a second group similar pressure on bilateral non-acupressure points ( n = 139 ) , and a third group ( n = 136 ) served as reference  group . Nausea ( scale 0–6 ) , vomiting , pain , and satisfaction with the treatment were recorded . Primary outcome was complete response , i.e. , no nausea , vomiting or rescue medication for 24 hr . Results were analyzed by applying logistic regression with indicators of treatments , type of operation and risk score for PONV as explanatory variables . Results Complete response was more frequent in the P6 acupressure group than in the reference group ( P = 0.0194 ) Conversely , the incidence of PONV was 46 % in the reference group , 38 % after pressure on a non-acupoint and 33 % after P6 acupressure . The decrease from 46 % to 33 % was statistically significant . When considering vaginal cases separately , the decrease in PONV was from 36 % to 20 % ( P = 0.0168 ) . The corresponding decrease from 59 % to 55 % in the laparoscopic surgery group was not statistically significant . Conclusion P6 acupressure is a non-invasive method that may have a place as prophylactic antiemetic therapy during gynecological surgery . RésuméObjectifRechercher l’effet d’une stimulation sensorielle acupressive en P6 sur les nausées et vomissements postopératoires ( NVPO ) à la suite d’une intervention chirurgicale gynécologique dans un cadre clinique normal ( étude d’efficacité).MéthodeUn essai clinique prospect if , r and omisé , multicentrique , en double aveugle contre placebo et comportant un groupe de référence a été réalisé auprès de 410 femmes qui se sont présentées successivement pour une intervention gynécologique non urgente sous anesthésie générale . Les patientes d’un premier groupe ont reçu de l’acupression en P6 ( n = 135 ) , celles d’un second groupe ont reçu une  pression semblable sur des points bilatéraux , non d’acupression , ( n = 139 ) et un troisième groupe ( n = 136 ) a servi de référence . Les nausées ( échelle de 0–6 ) , les vomissements , la douleur et la satisfaction face au traitement ont été notés . Le premier résultat était une réponse complète , donc absence de nausées , de vomissements ou de médication de secours pendant 24 h. Les résultats ont été analysés par régression logistique avec des indicateurs de traitements , le type d’intervention et le taux de risque de NVPO comme variables explicatives . RésultatsLa réponse complète a été plus fréquente avec l’acupression en P6 que chez les patientes témoins ( P = 0,0194 ) . Inversement , l’incidence de NVPO a été de 46 % dans le groupe de référence , 38 % après une pression de points non acupresseurs et 33 % après l’acupression en P6 . La diminution de 46 % à 33 % était significative . L’examen séparé des cas d’intervention vaginale indique une baisse des NVPO de 36 % à 20 % ( P = 0,0168 ) . La baisse correspondante de 59 % à 55 % dans les cas d’intervention laparoscopique n’était pas significative . Conclusion L’acupression en P6 représente une méthode non effractive de traitement antiémétique prophylactique qui peut avoir sa place pendant une intervention gynécologique Background and objective Postoperative nausea and vomiting causes discomfort in many patients despite both antiemetic prophylactics and improved anaesthetic techniques . Stimulation of acupoint P6 is described as an alternative method for prophylaxis of postoperative nausea and vomiting . In a r and omised , double-blinded study , we aim ed to investigate the effect of P6 acupoint stimulation on the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting within 24 h postoperatively with an acupressure wristb and : Vital-B and . Methods One hundred and thirty-four healthy , non-smoking women scheduled for breast surgery were r and omised either to P6 stimulation or to sham control . Wristb and s were applied and covered with a dressing before induction of anaesthesia . Follow-up was carried out three times within 24 h postoperatively . Primary outcomes were postoperative nausea and /or vomiting . Results One hundred and twelve patients completed the study . There were no statistically significant differences in the incidence of nausea [ P6 stimulation , 35.1 % ( 95 % confidence interval , CI 22.7–47.5 % ) versus sham control , 43.1 % ( 95 % CI 29.5–56.7 % ; P = 0.433 ) ] or vomiting [ P6 stimulation , 25.9 % ( 95 % CI 14.6–37.2 % ) versus sham control , 26.9 % ( 95 % CI 14.8–39.0 % ; P = 1.000 ) ] . Approximately , one third of the patients reported side effects caused by the wristb and , for example , redness , swelling and tenderness . Conclusion We did not find the Vital-B and effective in preventing either nausea or vomiting after operation in women undergoing breast surgery Background and Objective : A recent Cochrane review on placebo interventions for all kinds of conditions found that ‘ physical placebos ’ ( which included sham acupuncture ) were associated with larger effects over no-treatment control groups than ‘ pharmacological placebos ’ . We re-analyzed the data from this review to investigate whether effects associated with sham acupuncture differed from those of other ‘ physical placebos ’ . Methods : All trials included in the Cochrane review as investigating ‘ physical placebos ’  were classified as investigating either ( sham ) acupuncture or other physical placebos . The latter group was further subclassified into groups of similar interventions . Data from the Cochrane review were re-entered into the RevMan 5 software for meta- analysis . The primary analysis was a r and om-effects analysis of trials reporting continuous outcomes of trials that used either sham acupuncture or other physical placebos . Results : Out of a total of 61 trials which reported a continuous outcome measure , 19 compared sham acupuncture and 42 compared other physical placebos with a notreatment control group . The trials re-analyzed were highly heterogeneous regarding patients , interventions and outcomes measured . The pooled st and ardized mean difference was –0.41 ( 95 % confidence interval –0.56 , –0.24 ) between sham acupuncture and no treatment and –0.26 ( 95 % CI –0.37 , –0.15 ) between other physical placebos and no treatment ( p value for subgroup differences = 0.007 ) . Significant differences were also observed between subgroups of other physical placebos . Conclusion : Due to the heterogeneity of the trials included and the indirect comparison our results must be interpreted with caution . Still , they suggest that sham acupuncture interventions might , on average , be associated with larger effects than pharmacological and other physical placebos To compare the efficacy of acupressure wrist b and s , ondansetron , metoclopramide and placebo in the prevention of vomiting and nausea after strabismus surgery . Two hundred patients , ASA physical status I or II , aged between 10 and 60 years , undergoing strabismus surgery in Farabi Hospital in 2007 - 2008 years , were included in this r and omized , prospect i ve , double-blind and placebo-controlled study . Group I was the Control , group II received metoclopramide 0.2 mg/kg , group III received ondansetron 0.15 mg/kg iv just before induction , in Group IV acupressure wristb and s were applied at the P6 points . Acupressure wrist b and s were placed inappropriately in Groups I , II and III . The acupressure wrist b and s were applied 30 min prior to the induction of anesthesia and removed six hours after surgery . Postoperative nausea and vomiting ( PONV ) was evaluated within 0 - 2 hours and 2 - 24 hours after surgery by a blinded observer . Results were analyzed by X(2 ) test . A P value of < 0.05 was taken as significant . The incidence of PONV was not significantly different in acupressure , metoclopramide and ondansetron during the 24 hours . Acupressure at P6 causes a significant reduction in the incidence of PONV 24 hours after strabismus surgery as well as metoclopramide 0.2 mg/kg and ondansetron 0.15 mg/kg iv for patients aged 10 or more Preoperative anxiety , as an emotional reaction , is common among patients undergoing surgery . The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of acupressure on preoperative anxiety  before abdominal surgery . The 70 subjects of this clinical trial were r and omly assigned into the acupressure group ( n=35 ) , which received acupressure at the true points , or the placebo group ( n=35 ) , which received acupressure at sham ( false ) points .  Preoperative anxiety and vital signs before and after the intervention were measured in both groups . The findings demonstrated a reduction in the level of preoperative anxiety for both groups ( P<.001 ) . Furthermore , they showed a statistically significant difference between the mean of vital signs before and after the intervention in the acupressure group ( P<.001 ) and only statistically significant results for cardiovascular ( P=.016 ) and respiratory rates ( P=.007 ) in the placebo group . Overall , findings revealed that acupressure at true points ( third eye and Shen men ) can reduce higher preoperative anxiety of patients before abdominal surgery and that it has had a more clinical ly beneficial effect than sham points In this r and omized sham-controlled study we examined the anxiolytic and sedative effects of acupressure on parents in the preoperative holding area before their children ’s surgery . Sixty-one parents received acupressure  either at the Yintang point ( midpoint between the two eyebrows ) or at a sham point . Anxiety ( as measured by the Stait-Trait Anxiety Inventory ) , arterial blood pressure , and heart rate were assessed before and after the intervention and a Bispectral Index monitor was used to continuously monitor hypnotic sedation levels . Repeated- measures analysis of variance showed that parents in the acupressure group reported significantly less anxiety at 20 min postintervention as compared with parents in the sham group ( 37 ± 10 versus 45 ± 13 , P = 0.03 ) . Bispectral Index values , heart rate , and arterial blood pressure , however , did not differ between the two study groups ( P = not significant ) . We conclude that acupressure at the Yintang point may be used as a treatment for parental preoperative anxiety . Future studies are needed to quantify the magnitude and duration of the anxiolytic effect AIMS AND OBJECTIVES To examine and compare the effects of acupressure on the perceived health-related quality of life of the participants with bronchiectasis . BACKGROUND In an attempt to offer comfort , pain control and symptom management , nursing is becoming increasingly involved in offering complementary-alternative medicine as part of its caring-healing focus in comprehensive patient care . Acupressure is one such modality that is being increasingly used by both medical and nursing professionals . While acupressure has been reported to have beneficial effects in patients with respiratory disease , the benefits to bronchiectasis patients have remained uncertain . DESIGN A r and omized , partially blinded study consisting of three groups . METHODS Thirty-five out- patients of both genders , aged 59.46 SD 11.52 years , who were suffering from bronchiectasis , were r and omly split into one of three groups : st and ard care with supplemental acupressure for eight weeks ( 11 participants ) ; st and ard care with supplemental sham acupressure for eight weeks ( 11 participants ) ; and st and ard care alone ( 13 participants ) . Outcomes were determined by changes in daily sputum amounts , sputum self- assessment , six-minute walking distance , breathing difficulty ( measured on the dyspnea visual analogue scale ) and health-related quality of life ( measured by the Saint George Respiratory Question naire ) . RESULTS The sputum self- assessment score improved over time for the sham acupressure participants ( P = 0.03 ) , when compared with the controls . For acupressure participants , the Saint George respiratory question naire activity component scores also improved over time , compared with controls ( P = 0.01 ) after adjustment for covariates ( treatment , time , age , sex and baseline values ) . Other variables did not differ between the st and ard care alone group and the other two groups . CONCLUSIONS Eight weeks of self-administered acupressure could be useful in reducing the effects of bronchiectasis on a patient 's daily activities . RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE Acupressure may be regarded as a viable nursing intervention OBJECTIVE To determine the effect of continuous acupressure at P6 applied by Sea-B and s with acupressure buttons on the frequency and severity of nausea and vomiting of pregnancy during the 1 st trimester . DESIGN A two-group , quasi-experimental , posttest-only and posttest-repeated measure . SETTING Seventeen medical clinics or offices in southern Michigan . PARTICIPANTS Convenience sample of English-speaking , healthy pregnant women in their 1 st trimester , who had at least one episode of nausea , vomiting , or both before their prenatal clinic/office visit where they were recruited . After being accepted for the study , the women were r and omly assigned to treatment or placebo groups . INTERVENTION Treatment group 1 applied SeaB and s with acupressure buttons to both wrists for 4 days and removed the Sea-B and s for 3 subsequent days . Placebo group 2 applied the Sea-B and s without acupressure buttons to both wrists on the same time schedule as group 1 . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Self-report daily diaries of the number of times per day that participants experienced nausea , the severity of nausea , the number of vomiting episodes per day , and the severity of vomiting . RESULTS Mann-Whitney U procedures revealed that the treatment group had significantly less frequency and severity of nausea and vomiting of pregnancy while wearing the Sea-B and s than did the placebo group . The treatment group also had significantly less frequency and severity of nausea and vomiting of pregnancy while wearing the SeaB and s than when not wearing the Sea-B and s. CONCLUSIONS Sea-B and s with acupressure buttons are a noninvasive , inexpensive , safe , and effective treatment for the nausea and vomiting of pregnancy OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of SP6 acupressure on labor pain and delivery time in women in labor . DESIGN R and omized clinical trial . SETTING /LOCATION Delivery room in a university hospital . PARTICIPANTS Seventy-five ( 75 ) women in labor were r and omly assigned to either the SP6 acupressure ( n = 36 ) or SP6 touch control ( n = 39 ) group . The participants were matched according to parity , cervical dilation , labor stage , rupture of amniotic membrane , and husb and 's presence during labor . There were no additional oxytocin augmentation or administration of analgesics during the study period . INTERVENTION The 30-minute acupressure or touch on SP6 acupoint was performed . OUTCOME MEASURES Labor pain was measured four times using a structured question naire , a subjective labor pain scale ( visual-analogue scale [ VAS ] ) : before intervention , immediately after the intervention , and 30 and 60 minutes after the intervention . Length of delivery time was calculated in two stages : from 3 cm cervical dilation to full cervical dilatation , and full cervical dilatation to the delivery . RESULTS There were significant differences between the groups in subjective labor pain scores at all time points following the intervention : immediately after the intervention ( p = 0.012 ) ; 30 minutes after the intervention ( p = 0.021 ) ; and 60 minutes after the intervention ( p = 0.012 ) . The total labor time ( 3 cm dilatation to delivery ) was significantly shorter in the SP6 acupressure intervention group than in the control group ( p = 0.006 ) . CONCLUSIONS These findings showed that SP6 acupressure was effective for decreasing labor pain and shortening the length of delivery time .  SP6 acupressure can be an effective nursing management for women in labor BACKGROUND Despite the popularity of acupuncture , evidence of its efficacy for reducing pain remains equivocal . OBJECTIVE To assess the efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese acupuncture ( TCA ) compared with sham acupuncture ( needling at defined nonacupuncture points ) and conservative therapy in patients with chronic pain due to osteoarthritis of the knee . DESIGN R and omized , controlled trial . SETTING 315 primary care practice s staffed by 320 practitioners with at least 2 years ' experience in acupuncture . PATIENTS 1007 patients who had had chronic pain for at least 6 months due to osteoarthritis of the knee ( American College of Rheumatology [ ACR ] criteria and Kellgren-Lawrence score of 2 or 3 ) . INTERVENTIONS Up to 6 physiotherapy sessions and as-needed anti-inflammatory drugs plus 10 sessions of TCA , 10 sessions of sham acupuncture , or 10 physician visits within 6 weeks . Patients could request up to 5 additional sessions or visits if the initial treatment was viewed as being partially successful . MEASUREMENTS Success rate , as defined by at least 36 % improvement in Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index ( WOMAC ) score at 26 weeks . Additional end points were WOMAC score and global patient assessment . RESULTS Success rates were 53.1 % for TCA , 51.0 % for sham acupuncture , and 29.1 % for conservative therapy . Acupuncture groups had higher success rates than conservative therapy groups ( relative risk for TCA compared with conservative therapy , 1.75 [ 95 % CI , 1.43 to 2.13 ] ; relative risk for sham acupuncture compared with conservative therapy , 1.73 [ CI , 1.42 to 2.11 ] ) . There was no difference between TCA and sham acupuncture ( relative risk , 1.01 [ CI , 0.87 to 1.17 ] ) . LIMITATIONS There was no blinding between acupuncture and traditional therapy and no monitoring of acupuncture compliance with study protocol . In general , practitioner-patient contacts were less intense in the conservative therapy group than in the TCA and sham acupuncture groups . CONCLUSIONS Compared with physiotherapy and as-needed anti-inflammatory drugs , addition of either TCA or sham acupuncture led to greater improvement in WOMAC score at 26 weeks . No statistically significant difference was observed between TCA and sham acupuncture , suggesting that the observed differences could be due to placebo effects , differences in intensity of provider contact , or a physiologic effect of needling regardless of whether it is done according to TCA principles The purpose of the study is to test the effectiveness of acupressure on sleep quality of end-stage renal disease patients . The study was a r and omized controlled trial ; qualified patients in the dialysis centers of four major hospitals were r and omly assigned into an acupressure group , a sham acupressure group , and a control group .  A total of 98 participants were included in the study . The main outcomes measured were the Pittsburgh sleep quality index ( PSQI ) and the sleep log . Data were collected at pretreatment and following treatment . Primary statistical analysis was by means of Analysis of Covariance , the Kruskal-Wallis Test and repeated measure ANOVA . The results indicated that PSQI scores of the acupressure group have a significantly greater improvement ( p < 0.01 ) than the control group . However , there were no differences between the acupressure group and the sham group or the sham group and the control group ( p > 0.05 ) . Subscales of PSQI were further analyzed . Results demonstrated significant differences between the acupressure group and the control group in subjective sleep quality ( p = 0.009 ) , sleep duration ( p = 0.004 ) , habitual sleep efficiency ( p = 0.001 ) , and sleep sufficiency ( p = 0.004 ) . Significant differences in the subscale of subjective sleep quality ( p = 0.003 ) between the sham acupressure group and the control group were also observed . Sleep log data showed that the acupressure group significantly decreased awake time and improved quality of sleep over time more than the control group ( p < 0.01 ) . The improvement could be seen as soon as the acupoints massage was implemented , and it was maintained through the post intervention Our objective was to study the analgesic effect of acupoint pressure on postoperative pain in a controlled single-blind study . Forty patients undergoing knee arthroscopy in an ambulatory surgery unit in a university-affiliated hospital were r and omized to receive either an active stimulation ( AS ) or a placebo stimulation ( PS ) 30 min after awakening from anesthesia . We stimulated 15 classical acupoints in the AS group , on the side contralateral to surgery , with a firm pressure and a gliding movement across the acupoint . In the PS group , 15 nonacupoints were subjected to light pressure in the same areas as the acupoints in the AS group . We assessed pain using a 100-mm visual analog scale ( VAS ) before sensory stimulation , after 30 and 60 min , and after 24 h. We recorded heart rate , systolic arterial pressure , and skin temperature before stimulation and after 30 and 60 min . We assessed skin blood flow with laser Doppler before stimulation and after 1 and 30 min . Sixty minutes and 24 h after AS , VAS pain scores were lower than in the placebo group ( p < 0.05 and 0.0001 , respectively ) . There were no significant changes in the autonomic variables . The results indicate that pressure on acupoints can decrease postoperative pain OBJECTIVE To determine whether the application of acupressure b and s would lead to a reduction in postoperative nausea and vomiting after cardiac surgery . DESIGN Prospect i ve , r and omized , double-blind clinical trial . SETTING University-affiliated tertiary care teaching hospital . PARTICIPANTS Adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery . INTERVENTIONS One hundred fifty-two patients were enrolled to receive either acupressure treatment ( n = 75 ) or placebo ( n = 77 ) . All patients had acupressure b and s placed on both wrists before induction of anesthesia ; those in the treatment group had a bead placed in contact with the P6 point on the forearm . MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Patients were assessed for nausea , vomiting , and pain scores during the first 24 hours of the postoperative period . The incidences of nausea , vomiting , pain scores , and analgesic and antiemetic requirements were similar between the 2 groups . A subgroup analysis by gender implied that acupressure treatment may be effective only in female patients . CONCLUSION Acupressure treatment did not lead to a reduction in nausea , vomiting , or antiemetic requirements in patients after cardiac surgery To evaluate the reported benefit of ipsilateral single-application ophthalmic anesthetic eyedrops in patients with typical trigeminal neuralgia , a r and omized double-blind placebo-controlled trial was performed . Forty-seven patients were r and omly assigned to receive two drops of either proparacaine ( 25 cases ) or saline placebo ( 22 cases ) . The experimental and placebo groups were equivalent in regard to patient age , distribution of trigeminal neuralgia pain , duration of pain , current medication regimens , and number of prior procedures performed . Pain response was assessed at 3 , 10 , and 30 days after instillation using two pain rating scales and a measure of pain frequency . Treatment failure was defined in advance as any of the following : a lack of clinical response , the need for an increase in medication , or the need for surgery . No significant difference in outcomes was found between the two groups either when using a verbal pain rating scale ( p = 0.24 ) or when comparing overall pain status ( unchanged , improved throughout the study period , or temporarily improved ) ( p = 0.98 ) . No difference in the frequency of trigeminal neuralgia attacks between the two treatment groups ( scaled within five levels of pain frequency ) was detected ( p = 0.09 ) . During follow-up monitoring , 11 patients in the test drug group and 14 in the placebo group required surgery because of persistent pain ( p = 0.24 ) . The results of this study indicate that single-application topical ophthalmic anesthesia reduces neither the severity nor the frequency of pain in comparison to placebo administration . Although a simple and safe treatment , the single application of topical ophthalmic eyedrops provides no short- or long-term benefit to patients with trigeminal neuralgia AIM This paper is a report of a study to examine the effect of Nei-Guan point acupressure on nausea , vomiting and ketonuria levels in women diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum . BACKGROUND Previous studies have shown that acupressure application on the Nei-Guan point is effective in relieving nausea and vomiting associated with pregnancy and surgery . However , no findings have been supported by physiological data . METHOD A r and omized control group pretest-post-test design was implemented from 1 April 2003 to 30 April 2004 using three groups : a Nei-Guan point acupressure group , a placebo group and a control group which received only conventional intravenous treatment .  The participants were 66 women admitted to two general hospitals in Korea with hyperemesis gravidarum . RESULTS The degree of nausea and vomiting was statistically significantly lower in the Nei-Guan point acupressure group in comparison with the placebo and control groups . Ketonuria levels were reduced over time and , on days three and four of hospitalization , levels in the treatment group were statistically significantly lower than in the placebo or control groups ( P < 0.05 ) . CONCLUSION Nei-Guan point acupressure is a useful treatment for relieving symptoms experienced by women with hyperemesis gravidarum OBJECTIVES In clinical trials where participants are likely to be able to distinguish between true and sham interventions , informing participants that they may receive a sham intervention increases the likelihood of participants ' breaking the blind ' and invalidating trial findings . The present study explored participants ' perceptions of the consent process in a sham controlled acupressure trial which did not explicitly indicate participants may receive a sham intervention . DESIGN Nested qualitative study within a r and omised sham controlled trial of acupressure wristb and s for chemotherapy-related nausea . Convenience sample of 26 patients participated in semi-structured interviews  . Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim . Transcripts analysed thematically using framework analysis . SETTING Study conducted within three geographical sites in the UK : Manchester , Liverpool , and Plymouth . RESULTS All participants indicated that they believed they were fully informed when providing written consent to participate in the trial . Participants ' perceived it was acceptable to employ a sham intervention within the trial of acupressure wristb and s without informing potential participants that they may receive a sham treatment . Despite the fact that participants were not informed that one of the treatment arms was a sham intervention the majority indicated they assumed one of the treatment arms would be placebo . CONCLUSIONS Many trials of acupuncture and acupressure do not inform participants they may receive a sham intervention . The current study indicates patients ' perceive this approach to the consent process as acceptable . However , the fact participants assume one treatment may be placebo threatens the method ological basis for utilising this approach to the consent process BACKGROUND : Acupuncture and related techniques have been used as adjuncts for perioperative anesthesia management . We examined whether acupressure in the Extra-1 ( Yin-Tang ) point would result in decreased preprocedural anxiety and reduced intraprocedural propofol requirements in a group of children undergoing endoscopic procedures . METHODS : Fifty-two children were r and omized to receive acupressure bead intervention either at the Extra-1 acupuncture point or at a sham point . A  Bispectral Index ( BIS ) monitor  was applied to all children before the onset of the intervention . Anxiety was assessed at baseline and before entrance to the operating room . Anesthetic techniques were st and ardized and maintained with IV propofol infusion titrated to keep BIS values of 40–60 . RESULTS : We found that after the intervention , children in the Extra-1 group experienced reduced anxiety whereas children in the sham group experienced increased anxiety ( −9 % [ −3 to −15 ] vs 2 % [ −6 to 7.4 ] , P = 0.012 ) . In contrast , no significant changes in BIS values were observed in the preprocedural waiting period between groups ( P = ns ) . We also found that total intraprocedural propofol requirements did not differ between the two study groups ( 214 ± 76 & mgr;g · kg−1 · min−1 vs 229 ± 95 & mgr;g · kg−1 · min−1 , P = 0.52 ) . CONCLUSIONS : We conclude that acupressure bead intervention at Extra-1 acupoint reduces preprocedural anxiety in children undergoing endoscopic procedures . This intervention , however , has no impact on BIS values or intraprocedural propofol requirements BACKGROUND Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting remain difficult symptoms to manage in clinical practice . As st and ard antiemetic drugs do not fully eliminate these symptoms , it is important to explore the adjuvant role of non-pharmacological and complementary therapies in antiemetic management approaches . Acupressure is one such treatment showing highly suggestive evidence so far of a positive effect , meriting further investigation . OBJECTIVES The primary objective was to assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of  self-acupressure using wristb and s compared with sham acupressure wristb and s and st and ard care alone in the management of chemotherapy-induced nausea . Secondary objectives included assessment of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the wristb and s in relation to vomiting and quality of life and exploration of any age , gender and emetogenic risk effects . DESIGN R and omised three-arm sham-controlled trial ( Assessment of Nausea in Chemotherapy Research or ANCHoR ) with an economic evaluation . Arms include the wristb and arm , the sham wristb and arm and the st and ard care only arm . R and omisation consisted of minimisation with a r and om element balancing for gender , age ( 16 - 24 , > 24 - 50 , > 50 years ) and three levels of emetogenic chemotherapy ( low , moderate and high ) . Qualitative interviews were incorporated to shed more light on the quantitative findings . SETTING Outpatient chemotherapy clinics in three regions in the UK involving 14 different cancer units/centres . PARTICIPANTS Chemotherapy-naive cancer patients receiving chemotherapy of low , moderate and high emetogenic risk . INTERVENTION The intervention was acupressure wristb and s pressing the P6 point ( anterior surface of the forearm ) . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The Rhodes Index for Nausea/Vomiting , the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer ( MASCC ) Antiemesis Tool and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - General ( FACT-G ) . At baseline participants completed measures of anxiety/depression , nausea/vomiting expectation and expectations from using the wristb and s. RESULTS In total , 500 patients were r and omised in the study arms ( 166 st and ard care , 166 sham acupressure and 168 acupressure ) and data were available for 361 participants for the primary outcome . The primary outcome analysis ( nausea in cycle 1 ) revealed no statistically significant differences between the three arms , although the median nausea experience in patients using wristb and s ( both real and sham ones ) was somewhat lower than that in the antiemetics only group ( median nausea experience scores for the four cycles : st and ard care arm 1.43 , 1.71 , 1.14 , 1.14 ; sham acupressure arm 0.57 , 0.71 , 0.71 , 0.43 ; acupressure arm 1.00 , 0.93 , 0.43 , 0 ) . A gender effect was evident ( p= 0.002 ) , with women responding more favourably to the use of sham acupressure wristb and s than men ( odds ratio 0.35 for men and 2.02 for women in the sham acupressure group ; 1.27 for men and 1.17 for women in the acupressure group ) . This suggests a placebo effect . No significant differences were detected in relation to vomiting outcomes , anxiety and quality of life . Some transient adverse effects were reported , including tightness in the area of the wristb and s , feeling uncomfortable when wearing them and minor swelling in the wristb and area ( n= 6).There were no statistically significant cost differences associated with the use of real acupressure b and s ( £ 70.66 for the acupressure group , £ 111.13 for the st and ard care group and £ 161.92 for the sham acupressure group ) . In total , 26 subjects took part in qualitative interviews . The qualitative data suggested that participants perceived the wristb and s ( both real and sham ) as effective and helpful in managing their nausea during chemotherapy . CONCLUSIONS There were no statistically significant differences between the three arms in terms of nausea , vomiting and quality of life , although apparent re source use was less in both the real acupressure arm and the sham acupressure arm compared with st and ard care only ; therefore ; no clear conclusions can be drawn about the use of acupressure wristb and s in the management of chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting . However , the study provided encouraging evidence in relation to an improved nausea experience and some indications of possible cost savings to warrant further consideration of acupressure both in practice and in further clinical trials . TRIAL REGISTRATION IS RCT N87604299 . SOURCE OF FUNDING This project was funded by the NIHR Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment ; Vol . 17 , No. 26 . See the HTA programme website for further project information R and omized controlled trials ( RCT ) is the source of the raw data of evidence -based medicine . Blind method is adopted in most of the high- quality RCT . Sham acupuncture is the main form of blinded in acupuncture clinical trial . In order to improve the quality of acupuncture clinical trail , based on the necessity of sham acupuncture in clinical research , the current situation as well as the existing problems of sham acupuncture , suggestions were put forward from the aspects of new way and new design ation method which can be adopted as reference , and factors which have to be considered during the process of implementing . Various subjective and objective factors involving in the process of trial should be considered , and used of the current international st and ards , try to be quantification , and carry out strict quality monitoring AIM Insomnia is a major problem which decreases life quality . Many causes are involved with it and anxiety is often associated . The underlying mechanism is not completely understood , even though different factors seem to be associated . Among them melatonin and its circadian rhythm is thought to have an important role . In addition , acupressure and acupuncture are known to ameliorate insomnia and anxiety , when a specific wrist point is stimulated ( HT 7 Shenmen ) . With these bases , the aim of the present study has been to evaluate the efficacy of an acupressure device , ' ' H7-insomnia control ' ' , positioned on HT 7 points , during the night , in terms of general health and anxiety levels , together with the evaluation of sleep quality and the urinary melatonin metabolite 6-hydroxymelatonin sulphate determination , in a number of insomniacs . METHODS Forty patients with insomnia were divided into two groups and r and omly received either the H7 or placebo treatments , in a double-blind protocol , for 20 nights . Before and after treatments every subject answered a series of question naires ( General Health Question naire 28 items ; State-Trait Anxiety Inventory ; Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index ) and collected 24 h urines , divided into two sample s of 12 h each . Urinary melatonin metabolite was then determined using a RIA method . RESULTS Data obtained indicate that the device H7-insomnia control is efficacious to ameliorate quality of sleep and reduce anxiety levels in insomniacs , at a higher extent than in the placebo group . In addition , the 24 hours urinary melatonin metabolite rhythm , obtained at the end of treatment , was considered as being normal in a higher percentage of H7-treated patients , with respect to the placebo group . CONCLUSION It is plausible to hypothesize that the wrist acupressure device might be considered a valid tool , without adverse effects since it does not contain pharmaceutical products , that is able to naturally ameliorate sleep quality in insomniacs , acting through a not jet completely clarified mechanism , that may involve melatonin BACKGROUND This study explored the effects of acupressure on fatigue of lung cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy .  PATIENTS AND METHODS For this experimental study , 57 subjects were r and omly assigned to three groups : acupressure with essential oils ( n=17 ) , acupressure only ( n=24 ) , and sham acupressure ( n=16 ) . Acupoints were Hegu ( LI4 ) , Zusanli ( ST36 ) , and Sanyingjiao ( SP6 ) . All subjects received acupressure once every morning for 5 months , with each acupoint pressed for 1 min . Fatigue , functional status , anxiety , depression , and sleep quality were measured before initial chemotherapy ( T0 ) , on Day 1 of third chemotherapy ( T1 ) , and on Day 1 of sixth chemotherapy ( T2 ) . Outcome differences between groups were analyzed at T0 , T1 , and T2 by general estimating equations . RESULTS After controlling for baseline outcome values , age , and adherence to acupressure , subjects who received acupressure with essential oils and acupressure had significantly less fatigue in daily living activities and sleep better quality at T1 than subjects who received sham acupressure . Subjects who received acupressure with essential oils had significantly better sleep quality at T2 than the sham acupressure group . Subjects who received acupressure with or without essential oils had greater odds of better functional status at T1 than the sham group . CONCLUSION It is plausible that acupressure with or without essential oils helps lung cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy reduce cancer-related fatigue and increase activity level . Further study is wanted to test this hypothesis Postoperative nausea and vomiting are still common problems after general anesthesia , especially in ambulatory surgery . Drug therapy is often complicated with central nervous system symptoms . We studied a nonpharmacological method of therapy-acupressure-at the Pericardium 6 ( P.6 ) ( Nei-Guan ) meridian point . Two hundred consecutive healthy patients undergoing a variety of short surgical procedures were included in a r and omized , double-blind study : 108 patients were in the acupressure group ( Group 1 ) and 92 patients were in the control group ( Group 2 ) .  Spherical beads of acupressure b and s were placed at the P.6 points in the anterior surface of both forearms in Group 1 patients , while in Group 2 they were placed inappropriately on the posterior surface . The acupressure b and s were placed before induction of anesthesia and were removed 6 h postoperatively . They were covered with a soft cotton wrapping to conceal them from the blinded observer who evaluated the patients for presence of nausea and vomiting and checked the order sheet for any antiemetics prescribed . In both groups , the age , gender , height , weight , and type and duration of surgical procedures were all comparable without significant statistical difference . In Group 1 , only 25 of 108 patients ( 23 % ) had nausea and vomiting as compared to Group 2 , in which 38 of 92 patients ( 41 % ) had nausea and vomiting ( P = 0.0058 ) . We concluded that acupressure at the P.6 ( Nei-Guan ) point is an effective prophylaxis for postsurgical nausea and vomiting and therefore a good alternative to conventional antiemetic treatment . ( Anesth Analg 1997;84:821 - 5 The efficacy of currently available antiemetics remains poor . Concern with their side effects and the high cost of the newer drugs has led to renewed interest in non-pharmacological methods of treatment . We have studied the efficacy of acupressure at the P6 point in the prevention of nausea and vomiting after laparoscopy , in a double-blind , r and omized , controlled study of acupressure vs placebo . We studied 104 patients undergoing laparoscopy and dye investigation . The anaesthetic technique and postoperative analgesia were st and ardized . Failure of treatment was defined as the occurrence of nausea and /or vomiting within the first 24 h after anaesthesia . The use of acupressure reduced the incidence of nausea or vomiting from 42 % to 19 % compared with placebo , with an adjusted risk ratio of 0.24 ( 95 % CI 0.08 - 0.62 ; P = 0.005 ) . Other variables were similar between groups A prospect i ve , double-blind study was conducted to compare the effect of pressure at the P6 ( Neikuan ) point with placebo as an antiemetic in children . Sixty-six patients , ages 3 - 12 yr , undergoing outpatient surgery for correction of strabismus , were allocated r and omly to receive either bilateral P6 acupressure or placebo during the perioperative period . The study was design ed to detect a 50 % difference in the incidence of postoperative vomiting between the two groups , with a 90 % power of achieving a statistically significant result at the 5 % level ( two-tailed ) . The incidence of postoperative vomiting for the placebo group was 58 % before discharge from hospital , 73 % at home and 82 % in the first 24 h after surgery . The corresponding results for the acupressure group were 58 % before discharge , 71 % at home and 94 % in the first 24 h. These differences were not significant ; P6 acupressure did not reduce the incidence of postoperative vomiting in children undergoing strabismus surgery PURPOSE / OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effects of pericardium 6 ( P6 ) acupressure and nurse-provided counseling on  chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting ( CINV ) in patients with breast cancer . DESIGN R and omized , controlled trial . SETTING A university cancer center in Seoul , South Korea . SAMPLE 120 women who were beginning their second cycle of adjuvant chemotherapy after definitive surgery for breast cancer and who had more than mild levels of nausea and vomiting with the first cycle of chemotherapy . METHODS Participants were assigned r and omly into four groups : control ( placebo on SI3 ) , counseling only , P6 acupressure only , and P6 acupressure plus nurse-provided counseling . The experiences of upper-gastrointestinal distress were measured by the Rhodes Index of Nausea , Vomiting , and Retching for acute ( day 1 ) and delayed ( day 2 to day 5 ) CINV . MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES Nausea , retching , vomiting , P6 acupressure , and counseling . FINDINGS No significant differences were found in the demographic and disease-related variables among the four groups . The levels of CINV were significantly different among the groups from day 2 to day 5 . The CINV differences were attributed mainly to the difference between the control group and the group with P6 acupressure plus nurse-provided counseling . The effects of acupressure were proven from day 2 to day 5 , and the effects of nurse-provided counseling were proven on day 4 and were close to significance level on day 5 . CONCLUSIONS Synergic effects of P6 acupressure with nurse-provided counseling appeared to be effective in reducing CINV in patients with breast cancer . IMPLICATION S FOR NURSING P6 acupressure combined with counseling by nurses is a safe and easy-to-apply tool in CINV management in practice Postoperative nausea and vomiting ( PONV ) is one of the most common postoperative complications . Aside from pharmacological interventions , other complementary healing modalities have been introduced to assist patients in decreasing PONV and improving postoperative outcomes . This study examined acupressure as a safe complement to the more traditional approach of using drugs to prevent and /or relieve nausea and vomiting in the Cesarean section ( C/S ) under spinal anesthesia . In a prospect i ve r and omized clinical trial , 152 patients who were c and i date for elective C/S under spinal anesthesia were evaluated in two groups ( acupressure vs control groups ) . Subjects in the acupressure group received constant pressure by a specific wrist elastic b and ( without puncture of the skin ) on the Nei-Guan acupuncture point , 30 min prior to spinal anesthesia . The incidence of PONV was assessed during the surgery , at recovery room and at 1st , 2nd and 3rd two hours after the surgery . Significant differences in the incidence of the post-operative nausea and vomiting were found between the acupressure and control groups , with a reduction in the incidence rate of nausea from 35.5 % to 13.2 % . The amount of vomitus and the degree of discomfort were , respectively , less and lower in the study group . In view of the total absence of side-effects in acupressure , its application is worthy . Our study confirmed the effectiveness of acupressure in preventing post-operative nausea and vomiting , when applied 30 minutes prior to surgery Purpose : To evaluate the efficacy of acupressure wristb and s in the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting ( PONV ) . Methods : Two hundred ASAI - II patients undergoing elective endoscopic urological procedures were included in a r and omized , prospect i ve , double blind , placebo-controlled study . Spherical beads of acupressure wristb and s were placed at the P6 points in the anterior surface of both forearms in Group 1 patients ( acupressure group , n=100 ) whereas , in Group 2(control group , n=100 ) they were placed inappropriately on the posterior surface . The acupressure wristb and s were applied 30 min before induction of anesthesia and were removed six hours postoperatively . Anesthesia was induced with thiopental and maintained with nitrous oxide and oxygen , fentanly , isoflurane and vecuronium . The tracheas were extubated on the operation table after patients received neostigmine and atropine . Post operative nausea and vomiting were evaluated separately as none , mild , moderate or severe at the time of patient ’s arrival in PACU , then at six hours and twenty-four hours after surgery by a blinded observer . Results : In the acupressure group , 25 patients had PONV compared with 29 patients in the control group ( P = NS ) . Conclusion : Application of acupressure wristb and s at the P6 of both forearms 30 min before induction of anesthesia did not decrease the incidence of PONV in patients undergoing endoscopic urological procedures .RésuméObjectif : Évaluer l’efficacité de bracelets d’acupression utilisés pour la prévention des nausées et des vomissements postopératoires (NVPO).Méthode : Deux cents patients , ASA I – II , devant subir une intervention urologique endoscopique planifiée ont participé à l’étude r and omisée , prospect i ve et à double insu contre placebo . Des bracelets de billes d’acupression ont été placés aux points P6 de la face antérieure des deux avant-bras des patients du Groupe 1 ( groupe d’acupression , n=100 ) t and is que dans le Groupe 2 , ( groupe témoin , n=100 ) , ils l’ont été , de façon inappropriée , sur la face postérieure . On les a appliqués 30 min avant l’induction de l’anesthésie et retirés six heures après l’opération . L’anesthésie comportait du thiopental , à l’induction , et du protoxyde d’azote , de l’oxygène , du fentanyl , de l’isoflurane et du vécuronium . L’extubation trachéale a eu lieu à la salle d’opération après l’administration de néostigmine et d’atropine . Un observateur objectif a évalué les nausées et les vomissements postopératoires comme absents , légers , modérés ou sévères au moment où le patient est arrivé à la salle de réveil , puis six et vingt-quatre heures après l’opération . Résultats : Dans le groupe d’acupression , 25 patients ont eu des NVPO , comparativement à 29 patients du groupe témoin ( P = NS ) . Conclusion : L’application de bracelets d’acupression en P6 aux deux avant-bras , 30 min avant l’induction de l’anesthésie , n’a pas diminué l’incidence de NVPO chez des patients qui subissent une intervention urologique endoscopique INTRODUCTION Approximately 50 % of women experience nausea or vomiting during labour .  P6 acupoint stimulation reduces postoperative nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy and after chemotherapy . The aim of this r and omised , double-blinded , placebo-controlled trial was to determine whether P6 acupressure prevented nausea and vomiting during labour and delivery . METHODS After ethical approval and informed consent , women admitted for induction of labour , or in spontaneous labour , were r and omised to receive either acupressure b and s ( Pressure Right ) ( Group A ) or sham placebo b and s ( Group P ) applied to each wrist . Exclusions included recent nausea or vomiting . RESULTS We consented 365 women and r and omised 340 ( 170 per group ) . The groups had similar patient and labour characteristics . The incidence of nausea and /or vomiting did not significantly differ ( Group A 53 % vs. Group P 50 % , P=0.58 ) . There was no significant difference between groups ( A vs. P , respectively ) in the incidence of nausea ( 52 % vs. 45 % ) , vomiting ( 27 % vs. 28 % ) , rescue antiemetic treatment ( 27 % in both ) , severity of nausea or vomiting , satisfaction with control of nausea or ratings of inconvenience or discomfort from the b and s ( 10 % vs. 11 % ) . Factors significantly associated with emetic symptoms were smoking ( OR 2.16 , 95 % CI 1.07 - 4.37 ) , opioid analgesia ( OR 1.95 , 95 % CI 1.06 - 3.59 ) , history of motion-induced or postoperative nausea and vomiting ( OR 1.85 , 95 % CI 1.17 - 2.94 ) and higher body mass index ( OR 1.07 , 95 % CI 1.01 - 1.12 ) . CONCLUSION In this study acupressure wristb and s applied bilaterally did not reduce the incidence of nausea and vomiting during labour and delivery
OBJECTIVES To explore the commonly utilized sham acupressure procedures in existing acupressure trials , and to assess whether different types of sham interventions yield different therapeutic outcomes , and , as far as possible , to identify directions for the future development of an adequate sham acupressure method .
CONCLUSIONS A great diversity of sham acupressure controls have been used in clinical practice and research .