4. Discussion
neuropathy, arthritis, pain, PSPS, cord injuries, stenosis, Neuropathy
NEUROPATHY, ARTHRITIS, SAID, STENOSIS, NEUROPATHY
In this study, the effect of AA on back and leg pain, neuropathy, and sleep was examined and confirmed after it was applied to patients with PSPS for 6 weeks using subjective and objective indicators. Back and leg VAS were reduced after 5 weeks of AA, while PPT decreased after 3 weeks of the intervention. Such a result is similar to the outcome of the studies that reported consistent pain reduction over time in the experimental group by applying AA to the elderly with arthritis for 8 weeks [Neuropathy decreased significantly in both groups after the intervention, showing significant differences between the two groups. These results are similar to the findings of prior studies that reported decreased neuropathy after applying AA to those with cervical spine and spinal cord injuries [The PSQI score was similar to that of spinal stenosis surgery patients [There was no difference between the two groups in the PSQI, which is a subjective indicator. These results differed from the studies in which AA significantly reduced PSQI scores [The reflex points used in this study were the shenmen, subcortex, sympathetic nerves, liver, and lumbar vertebrae, and a In a study on pain after spinal surgery, it failed to prove the effect of AA after applying it to the patients undergoing spinal surgery for three days after the surgery; however, AA was proven to be effective in a study that reported a significant decrease in the amount of painkiller use [During the 6 weeks of AA, no one dropped out due to side effects of AA. It has been confirmed that AA is a safe and effective intervention to apply as a nursing intervention since it is non-invasive and has no risk of cross-infection, unlike acupuncture. In particular, it is significant that AA is an effective intervention to be performed by nurses for patients with PSPS who are limited to receiving an interventional treatment or who have a hard time controlling pain due to fear of receiving treatment.As a result, AA is an effective nursing intervention for pain, neuropathy, and sleep in patients with PSPS, and it can be said to be a nursing intervention suitable for improving the quality of life of the patients.Despite the several positive findings of AA, the study limitations need to be considered. First, mechanoreceptors can be activated only by skin stimulation, so care has to be taken in interpreting the results. Second, this study was single-blind, allowing for the risk of a placebo effect. In the future, a long-term repeat study with a more stringent PSPS is suggested.