Effectiveness of Acupressure on Pruritus and Lichenification Associated with Atopic Dermatitis: A Pilot Trial A Randomized Clinical Trial of Auricular Point Acupressure for Chronic Low Back Pain: A Feasibility Study The effectiveness of relaxation acupoint stimulation and acupressure with aromatic lavender essential oil for non-specific low back pain in Hong Kong: a randomised controlled trial. Effects of SP6 acupressure on pain and menstrual distress in young women with dysmenorrhea. Effects of acupressure at the Sanyinjiao point on primary dysmenorrhoea. 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. Acupressure as an adjunct to a pulmonary rehabilitation program. Efficacy of auricular acupressure combined with transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation for weight reduction in obese women. The efficacy of acupressure for decreasing agitated behaviour in dementia: a pilot study. Testing a tool for assessing the risk of bias for nonrandomized studies showed moderate reliability and promising validity. The Efficacy of Auriculotherapy for Smoking Cessation: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial Self-administered acupressure reduces the symptoms that limit daily activities in bronchiectasis patients: pilot study findings. A randomized clinical trial of the efficacy of applying a simple acupressure protocol to the Taichong point in relieving dysmenorrhea. Effect of acupuncture or acupressure on quality of life of patients with chronic obstructive asthma: a pilot study. Acupressure for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting: a randomized clinical trial. The effect of acupressure on nausea and vomiting after cesarean section under spinal anesthesia. Acupressure Improves Sleep Quality of Psychogeriatric Inpatients
Background Pruritus is a debilitating aspect of atopic dermatitis ( AD ) .  Acupuncture has been reported to diminish pruritus , but self-administered acupressure has not been previously evaluated . Objectives To evaluate the effectiveness of acupressure on the severity of eczema in a pilot trial . Methods Adult patients with AD were r and omised to an intervention group ( acupressure with st and ard of care ) or a control group ( st and ard of care alone ) . Subjects in the intervention group performed acupressure using a 1.2 mm acupellet at the LI11 point , applying pressure for 3 min three times per week for 4 weeks . The severity of itching and AD at baseline and at 4 weeks were measured on a visual analogue scale ( VAS ) , the Investigator 's Global Assessment ( IGA ) and the Eczema Area and Severity Index ( EASI ) . Results Fifteen subjects were enrolled , 12 of whom completed the study between November 2009 and May 2011 . There was no significant change between baseline and follow-up survey scores within the control group . In the investigation group there was a decrease in the VAS score ( p=0.05 ) and EASI lichenification ( p=0.03 ) , although without significant change in the overall EASI score . Comparison of the scores between groups showed a greater decrease in VAS in the experimental group than in the control group ( p=0.04 ) , and a decrease in the IGA ( p=0.03 ) and EASI lichenification score ( p=0.03 ) . The overall EASI scores were unchanged . Conclusion Subjects using acupressure at LI11 for 4 weeks had improvement in pruritus and lichenification . Acupressure may prove to be an easily administered alternative treatment , but larger-scale studies are needed to confirm these preliminary findings Objectives . This prospect i ve , r and omized clinical trial ( RCT ) was design ed to investigate the feasibility and effects of a 4-week auricular point acupressure ( APA ) for chronic low back pain ( CLBP ) . Methods . Participants were r and omized to either true APA ( true acupoints with taped seeds on the design ated ear points for CLBP ) or sham APA ( sham acupoints with taped seeds but on different locations than those design ated for CLBP ) . The duration of treatment was four weeks . Participants were assessed before treatment , weekly during treatment , and 1 month following treatment . Results . Participants in the true APA group who completed the 4-week APA treatment had a 70 % reduction in worst pain intensity , a 75 % reduction in overall pain intensity , and a 42 % improvement in disability due to back pain from baseline assessment . The reductions of worst pain and overall pain intensity in the true APA group were statistically greater than participants in the sham group ( P < 0.01 ) at the completion of a 4-week APA and 1 month followup . Discussion . The preliminary findings of this feasibility study showed a reduction in pain intensity and improvement in physical function suggesting that APA may be a promising treatment for patients with CLBP OBJECTIVES To assess the effect of acupoint stimulation with electrodes combined with acupressure using an aromatic essential oil ( lavender ) as an add-on-treatment on pain relief and enhancing the physical functional activities among adults with sub-acute or chronic non-specific low back pain . DESIGN R and omised controlled trial . SETTING The community centre , Old-Aged Home and Women Workers Association , Hong Kong . INTERVENTION 8-session relaxation acupoint stimulation followed by acupressure with lavender oil over a 3-week period . The control group received usual care only . OUTCOME MEASURES Changes from baseline to the end of treatment were assessed in pain intensity ( by Visual Analogue Scale ) and duration ; lateral fingertip-to-ground distance in centimetres ; walking time and interference on daily activities . RESULTS The baseline VAS scores for the intervention and control groups were 6.38 ( S.E.M. = 0.22 ) and 5.70 ( S.E.M. = 0.37 ) out of 10 , respectively ( P=0.24 ) . One week after the end of treatment , the intervention group had 39 % greater reduction in VAS pain intensity than the control group ( P=0.0001 ) , improved walking time ( P=0.05 ) and greater lateral spine flexion range ( P=0.01 ) . CONCLUSIONS Our results show that 8-sessions of acupoint stimulation followed by acupressure with aromatic lavender oil were an effective method for short-term LBP relief . No adverse effects were reported . To complement mainstream medical treatment for sub-acute LBP , the combined therapy of acupoint stimulation followed by acupressure with aromatic lavender oil may be one of the choices as an add-on therapy for short-term reduction of LBP OBJECTIVES This study aims to evaluate the effects of Sanyinjiao ( SP6 ) acupressure in reducing the pain level and menstrual distress  result ing from dysmenorrhea . METHODS Forty participants with dysmenorrhea were assigned to either the acupressure group ( n = 19 ) or the control group ( n = 21 ) . The acupressure group received 20 min of SP6 acupressure during the initial intervention session and was taught to perform the technique for them to do twice a day from the first to third days of their menstrual cycle , 3 months subsequent to the first session . In contrast , the control group was only told to rest . Outcomes were measured through ( 1 ) the Pain Visual Analogue Scale ( PVAS ) , ( 2 ) the Short-Form McGill Pain Question naire ( SF-MPQ ) , and ( 3 ) the Short-Form Menstrual Distress Question naire ( SF-MDQ ) . RESULTS There was a statistically significant decrease in pain score for PVAS ( p = 0.003 ) and SF-MPQ ( p = 0.02 ) immediately after the 20 min of SP6 acupressure . In the self-care periods , significant reduction of PVAS ( p = 0.008 ) , SF-MPQ ( p = 0.012 ) , and SF-MDQ ( p = 0.024 ) scores was noted in the third month of post-intervention . CONCLUSIONS SP6 acupressure has an immediate pain-relieving effect for dysmenorrhea . Moreover , acupressure applied to the SP6 acupoint for 3 consecutive months was effective in relieving both the pain and menstrual distress level result ing from dysmenorrhea AIM This paper presents the findings of a study that assessed the effects of acupressure at the Sanyinjiao point on symptoms of primary dysmenorrhoea among adolescent girls . BACKGROUND Dysmenorrhoea is the most common gynaecological disorder among adolescents . Traditional Chinese acupressure derived from acupuncture is a non-invasive technique . Despite renewed interest in the use of acupressure , relatively few studies have been undertaken to examine its effects on primary dysmenorrhoea . METHODS An experimental study was conducted between December 2000 and August 2001 . Participants were female students attending a technical college in Taiwan . None of the 69 participants had a prior history of gynaecological disease or secondary dysmenorrhoea , and all were rated higher than five for pain on a visual analogue scale from 0 to 10 . The experimental group ( n = 35 ) received acupressure at Sanyinjiao ( above the ankle ) while the control group ( n = 34 ) rested for 20 min , while the control group underwent rest in the school health centre for 20 min without receiving acupressure .  Fifty participants ( 30 experimental , 20 control ) completed the 4 - 6-week follow-up session . Five instruments were used to collect pretest and post-test data at each session : ( 1 ) Visual Analogue Scale for pain ; ( 2 ) the Short-Form McGill Pain Question naire ; ( 3 ) the Menstrual Distress Question naire ; ( 4 ) the Visual Analogue Scale for anxiety ; and , for the experimental group only , ( 5 ) the Acupressure Self- Assessment Form . Data were analysed using the chi-square test , two- sample t-test and repeated measures two-way anova . RESULTS Acupressure at Sanyinjiao during the initial session reduced the pain and anxiety typical of dysmenorrhoea . In the self-treatment follow-up session , acupressure at Sanyinjiao significantly reduced menstrual pain but not anxiety . Thirty-one ( 87 % ) of the 35 experimental participants reported that acupressure was helpful , and 33 ( 94 % ) were satisfied with acupressure in terms of its providing pain relief and psychological support during dysmenorrhoea . CONCLUSION The findings suggest that acupressure at Sanyinjiao can be an effective , cost-free intervention for reducing pain and anxiety during dysmenorrhoea , and we recommend its use for self-care of primary dysmenorrhoea 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 is a therapy in which gentle pressure is applied with fingers at specific acupoints on the body . It is reported to relieve pain and have other beneficial effects . This study was design ed to ascertain the value of self-administered acupressure as an adjunct to a pulmonary rehabilitation program ( PRP ) for relief of dyspnea and other symptoms in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD ) . METHODS A single-blind pretest-posttest , cross-over design was used . Thirty-one new patients beginning a 12-week PRP at two private hospitals were r and omly assigned to one of two groups . Patients in group 1 were taught acupressure and practice d it daily at home for 6 weeks , then sham acupressure for the following 6 weeks . In group 2 , the order of acupressure and sham acupressure was reversed . During weeks 1 , 6 , and 12 , patient dyspnea , other symptoms associated with COPD , activity tolerance , lung function , and functional exercise capacity were assessed . RESULTS Real acupressure was more effective than sham acupressure for reducing dyspnea as measured by a visual analog scale ( P = .009 , one-tailed ) , and was minimally effective for relieving decathexis ( P = .044 , one-tailed ) . Sham acupressure seemed to be more effective than real acupressure for reducing peripheral sensory symptoms ( P = .002 , two-tailed ) , but the presence of these symptoms may also be an indication that the acupressure is affecting the body . CONCLUSIONS Acupressure seems to be useful to patients with COPD as an adjunct to a PRP in reducing dyspnea . Some persons who are not initially familiar with traditional Chinese medicine can learn and will accept self-administered acupressure as part of their self-care BACKGROUND Obesity leads to significant morbidity and mortality . Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation ( TEAS ) and auricular acupressure ( AA ) are alternative treatments for weight reduction , however there is no study of the combined treatments . OBJECTIVE To determine the efficacy of the combined treatment of TEAS and AA , compared with AA alone . MATERIAL AND METHOD A prospect i ve r and omized clinical trial was conducted in 40 obese women , aged 21 - 60 years , 20 were r and omly assigned to receive either TEAS+AA or AA for 8 weeks . TEAS was performed using electrodes attached to the 10 acupuncture points and were electrically stimulated with 0.2 ms pulses , at 40 Hz for 30 minutes per session . AA was performed using magnetic pellets attached to 3 auricular acupoints on each side . Self-pressure on the magnetic pellets 10 times per session , 3 sessions a day was assigned . Anthropometric parameters were obtained at the beginning and the end of the present study . RESULTS Sixteen in the TEAS+AA and 13 in the AA group completed the present study . Weight and BMI were significantly decreased in TEAS+AA group compared to the AA group ( 1.91 vs. 0.42 kg and 0.76 vs. 0.18 kg/m2 , respectively ) . After adjustment of the covariance , the treatment protocol was the only variance which had significant effect for weight reduction ( F = 4.62 ; p = 0.04 ) . CONCLUSION The combined treatment of AA and TEAS achieved higher weight reduction than the single treatment of AA in obese women during an 8 week period AIMS AND OBJECTIVES To investigate the efficacy of acupressure in decreasing agitated behaviours associated with dementia . BACKGROUND Agitated behaviour is found in nearly half of all patients who have dementia . The presence of these behaviours increases the likelihood of injury , weakness , dehydration and lack of sleep and contributes to caregiver frustration and fatigue . DESIGN This pilot study was design ed with subjects receiving both acupressure and the control treatment .  Each subject served as his or her own control . Subjects received four weeks of acupressure protocol s ; to avoid a carry-over effect there was a treatment-free period of one week . Subjects then were visited by one of the investigators for a six-week period . METHODS Participants were recruited from a nursing home caring specifically for patients with dementia . Twenty of the 31 subjects ( 64.5 % ) completed the study , while 11 were discharged or hospitalized . All the subjects were assigned to an experimental protocol and had a six-week acupressure treatment program . Baseline data were collected in the first week . Individual treatment sessions began at the second week of the study and lasted 15 minutes , twice a day , five days a week for four weeks . After a treatment-free period of one week , all the subjects served as controls undergoing a four-week control protocol consisting of companionship and conversation . RESULTS Comparison between the control and experimental phases indicated significant differences between the two groups on all outcome measures ( Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory , daily agitation records about physical attack , verbal and non-verbal attack and non-physical attack ) with better results found during the acupressure phase . CONCLUSIONS Acupressure is recommended as an efficacious and non-intrusive method for decreasing the agitation behaviours in patients with dementia . RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE Conducting the acupressure treatment takes 15 minutes . It could provide caregivers with a viable alternative to deal with patients with dementia OBJECTIVES To develop and vali date a new risk-of-bias tool for nonr and omized studies ( NRSs ) . STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING We developed the Risk of Bias Assessment Tool for Nonr and omized Studies ( RoBANS ) . A validation process with 39 NRSs examined the reliability ( interrater agreement ) , validity ( the degree of correlation between the overall assessment s of RoBANS and Method ological Index for Nonr and omized Studies [ MINORS ] , obtained by plotting the overall risk of bias relative to effect size and funding source ) , face validity with eight experts , and completion time for the RoBANS approach . RESULTS RoBANS contains six domains : the selection of participants , confounding variables , the measurement of exposure , the blinding of the outcome assessment s , incomplete outcome data , and selective outcome reporting . The interrater agreement of the RoBANS tool except the measurement of exposure and selective outcome reporting domains ranged from fair to substantial . There was a moderate correlation between the overall risks of bias determined using RoBANS and MINORS . The observed differences in effect sizes and funding sources among the assessed studies were not correlated with the overall risk of bias in these studies . The mean time required to complete RoBANS was approximately 10 min . The external experts who were interviewed evaluated RoBANS as a " fair " assessment tool . CONCLUSIONS RoBANS shows moderate reliability , promising feasibility , and validity . The further refinement of this tool and larger validation studies are required Background : Quitting smoking remains a challenge for almost one-third of the military veteran population . Alternatives to pharmacological therapies such as acupuncture , acupressure , and electrical stimulation have received minimal attention in research but have been widely reported to be popular and safe interventions for smoking cessation . Methods : This r and omized , double-blind , placebo-controlled clinical trial of 125 veterans was conducted to determine whether aural electrical stimulation ( auriculotherapy ) once a week for 5 consecutive weeks is associated with a higher rate of smoking abstinence are than observed with sham stimulation . Results : Auriculotherapy was found to be safe and largely free from significant side effects . However , there was no difference in the rate of smoking cessation between those participants who received true auriculotherapy and those who received sham auriculotherapy . The auriculotherapy group achieved a rate of 20.9 % abstinence versus 17.9 % for the placebo arm after 6 weeks . Conclusion : The results of this r and omized , controlled clinical trial do not support the use of auriculotherapy to assist with smoking cessation . It is possible that a longer treatment duration , more frequent sessions , or other modifications of the intervention protocol used in this study may result in a different outcome . However , based on the results of this study , there is no evidence that auriculotherapy is superior to placebo when offered once a week for 5 weeks , as described in previous uncontrolled studies 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 examine whether applying a simple acupressure protocol to the Taichong point is effective in relieving dysmenorrhea . METHODS In this single-blind trial 194 students with dysmenorrhea were r and omized to receive acupressure 5 days before menstruation for 3 months on either the Taichong or a placebo point . The severity of dysmenorrhea was assessed in the first and last of the 4 study cycles using the And ersch and Milsom scale . The χ(2 ) test , t test , Mann-Whitney U test , and Wilcoxon signed rank test were used for data analysis . RESULTS The difference in dysmenorrhea severity between the 2 groups was not significant in the first cycle but it was significant in the fourth cycle ( U = 2377.00 , P<0.001 ) , and the decrease in dysmenorrhea severity was also significant in the study group ( P<0.05 ) . CONCLUSION Applying a simple pressure protocol to the Taichong acupoint was an effective and inexpensive way of decreasing the severity of dysmenorrhea OBJECTIVES Acupuncture and acupressure are known to relieve symptoms associated with asthma , but the benefits to patients with chronic obstructive asthma have not been fully evaluated . In this pilot clinical study , acupuncture or acupressure was incorporated into the st and ard care for adult patients with chronic obstructive asthma to determine their contribution to the improvement of their quality of life and relief of symptoms . DESIGN A prospect i ve , r and omized study that involved 8 weeks of treatment at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital ( Tao-Yuan , Taiwan ) was conducted between March 1997 and September 1998 . Forty-one ( n = 41 ) patients with chronic obstructive asthma were enrolled . Patients were r and omly assigned to receive acupuncture in addition to st and ard care ( n = 11 ) , acupressure and st and ard care ( n = 17 ) , or st and ard care alone ( n = 13 ) . Twenty ( 20 ) acupuncture treatments were administered , and self-administered acupressure was performed daily for 8 weeks . Six-minute walking , the Dyspnea Visual Analogue Scale , the modified Borg scale , St. George 's Respiratory Question naire ( SGRQ ) , and the Bronchitis Emphysema Symptom Checklist ( BESC ) were used at the beginning and end of the 8 weeks of treatment . RESULTS The total SGRQ score of acupuncture subjects showed an average 18.5-fold improvement ( 95 % confidence interval [ CI ] 1.54 - 211.48 , p = 0.02 ) ; the improvement for the acupressure subjects was 6.57-fold ( 95 % C.I. 0.98 - 44.00 , p = 0.05 ) . Additionally , for patients who received acupressure , the irritability domain score determined by the BESC exhibited an 11.8-fold improvement ( 95 % C.I. 0.88 - 158.64 , p = 0.06 ) after adjustment for covariables . The other variables did not differ from those of the controls . CONCLUSIONS Patients with clinical ly stable , chronic obstructive asthma experienced clinical ly significant improvements in quality of life when their st and ard care was supplemented with acupuncture or acupressure PURPOSE / OBJECTIVES To compare differences in the chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting ( CINV ) among three groups of women ( acupressure , placebo acupressure , and usual care ) undergoing chemo-therapy for breast cancer . DESIGN A multicenter , longitudinal , r and omized clinical trial throughout one cycle of chemotherapy . SETTING Ten community clinical oncology programs associated with the M.D. And erson Cancer Center and nine independent sites located throughout the United States . SAMPLE 160 women who were beginning their second or third cycle of chemotherapy for breast cancer treatment and had moderate nausea intensity scores with their previous cycles . METHODS Subjects were r and omized to one of three groups : acupressure to P6 point ( active ) , acupressure to SI3 point ( placebo ) , or usual care only . Subjects in the acupressure group were taught to apply an acupressure wrist device by research assistants who were unaware of the active acupressure point . All subjects completed a daily log for 21 days containing measures of nausea and vomiting and recording methods ( including antiemetics and acupressure )  used to control these symptoms . MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES Acute and delayed nausea and vomiting . RESULTS No significant differences existed in the demographic , disease , or treatment variables among the treatment groups . No significant differences were found in acute nausea or emesis by treatment group . With delayed nausea and vomiting , the acupressure group had a statistically significant reduction in the amount of vomiting and the intensity of nausea over time when compared with the placebo and usual-care groups . No significant differences were found between the placebo and usual-care groups in delayed nausea or vomiting . CONCLUSIONS Acupressure at the P6 point is a value-added technique in addition to pharmaceutical management for women undergoing treatment for breast cancer to reduce the amount and intensity of delayed CINV . IMPLICATION S FOR NURSING Acupressure is a safe and effective tool for managing delayed CINV and should be offered to women undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer 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 Background : Acupressure , a noninvasive form of acupuncture , may be used as a low-cost and noninvasive means of improving sleep quality . Although it has been evaluated to improve self-reported sleep quality , it has not been assessed with regard to effectiveness in improving perceived and objective measures of sleep quality outcomes . Objectives : The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of acupressure in improving sleep quality of psychogeriatric in patients . Methods : Using a convenience sample , 60 psychogeriatric in patients with affective disorders from southern Taiwan were recruited . They were assigned r and omly to an experimental or control group . Although both groups received st and ard medical care , those in the experimental group received 9-minute acupressure treatment daily for 4 consecutive weeks . Acupressure was applied to three acupoints : shenmen , yangchuan , and neiguan . Outcomes were measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and actigraphy . Data were collected at baseline and after 4 weeks of intervention . Results : Participants in the experimental group improved significantly in subjective sleep quality as measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and in objective sleep quality as measured by actigraphy ( p < .001 for all ) after 4 weeks of intervention . Although the control participants also had some improvement in sleep quality , those in the experimental group had significantly greater improvements ( p < .05 ) in all domains of subjective and objective sleep quality than the control group . Discussion : Acupressure may be an effective means of improving sleep quality of psychogeriatric in patients
OBJECTIVES To assess the efficacy and safety of self-administered acupressure to alleviate symptoms of various health problems , including allergic disease , cancer , respiratory disease , dysmenorrhea , perceived stress , insomnia , and sleep disturbances .