Effect of acupressure on pain in Iranian leukemia patients: A randomized controlled trial study

Abstract

Nonpharmacological methods of pain relief such as acupressure are becoming increasingly popular worldwide. Practitioners often claim that such methods are highly effective and less invasive than analgesic drugs, but available empirical evidence is largely inconclusive. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that, postacupressure intervention, the amount of pain experienced by sampled leukemia patients, who received acupressure in addition to standard care, will reduce substantially compared to patients who received only routine treatment. This controlled trial was undertaken with hospitalized leukemia patients between February and June 2015. Our primary sample consisted of 100 participants who were randomly allocated to 2 groups. One (intervention) group underwent 12 acupressure sessions in addition to standard treatment while the control group received no intervention apart from being given the standard treatment for leukemia. The visual analogue scale was used to measure the levels of pain experienced. No significant differences were found between the 2 groups across 12 interventions. However, each group reported significantly different pain level changes before and after each intervention, suggested that the acupressure method was effective in reducing pain in the short term. Nurses are able to apply this complementary therapy alongside other procedures to manage these patients' pain. It is recommended that further studies be conducted to better understand the specific conditions under which acupressure can provide effective pain relief.

The effect of Hugo point acupressure massage on respiratory volume and pain intensity due to deep breathing in patients with chest tube after chest surgeries

“…In this regard, Raddadi et al (2017) concluded that pressure massage of LI4 and BL32 points reduce the pain of patients when intramuscular injection of penicillin compared to the control group [ 26 ]. Contrary to the results of this study, Sharif Nia et al (2017) did not observe a significant difference in the level of pain of leukemia patients during sampling between the two groups of massage therapy and control after 12 sessions of intervention [ 27 ], also, study Ramezani et al (2016) entitled acupressure at point LI4 has not been effective in reducing pain after cesarean section [ 22 ]. One of the reasons for the difference between the results of these studies and our study is the type of disease or the point of massage.…”

Effects of Althaea Root Extract on Alleviating Chemotherapy-Induced Stomatitis Pain: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

“…VAS is a quick, simple, stable, and valid tool that has been used in many investigations and medical trials (Mohseni Bandpei et al 2012). The validity and reliability of this instrument have also been confirmed in previous studies (Hojjati et al 2012;Sharif Nia et al 2017). Patients' oral pain were assessed by the researcher in the first, 7 th and 14 th days using a flashlight, tongue blade, and swaps; a checklist of stomatitis severity and oral pain intensity was also completed.…”

The Effect of Acupressure on Pain in Cancer Patients With Bone Metastasis: A Nonrandomized Controlled Trial

“…More specifically, these peptides influence the body’s sympatho-adrenal system in such a way that they would result in reduction of pain and anxiety. 21 In the present study, it was determined that acupressure significantly decreased the pain level of the patients in the intervention group. No negative effect was observed during this application.…”