Effect of acupressure with valerian oil 2.5% on the quality and quantity of sleep in patients with acute coronary syndrome in a cardiac intensive care unit

Abstract

The purpose of this three-group double-blind clinical trial study was to investigate the effect of acupressure (指壓 zhǐ yā) with valerian (纈草 xié cǎo) oil 2.5% on the quality and quantity of sleep in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in a coronary intensive care unit (CCU). This study was conducted on 90 patients with ACS in Mazandaran Heart Center (Sari, Iran) during 2013. The patients were randomly assigned to one of three groups. Patients in the acupressure with valerian oil 2.5% group (i.e., valerian acupressure group) received bilateral acupoint (穴位 xué wèi) massage with two drops of valerian oil for 2 minutes for three nights; including every point this treatment lasted in total 18 minutes. Patients in the acupressure group received massage at the same points with the same technique but without valerian oil. Patients in the control group received massage at points that were 1–1.5 cm from the main points using the same technique and for the same length of time. The quality and quantity of the patients' sleep was measured by the St. Mary's Hospital Sleep Questionnaire (SMHSQ). After the intervention, there was a significant difference between sleep quality and sleep quantity in the patients in the valerian acupressure group and the acupressure group, compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Patients that received acupressure with valerian oil experienced improved sleep quality; however, this difference was not statistically significant in comparison to the acupressure only group. Acupressure at the ear spirit gate (神門 shén mén), hand Shenmen, glabella (印堂 yìn táng), Wind Pool (風池 fēng chí), and Gushing Spring (湧泉 yǒng quán) acupoints can have therapeutic effects and may improve the quality and quantity of sleep in patients with ACS. Using these techniques in combination with herbal medicines such valerian oil can have a greater impact on improving sleep and reducing waking during the night.

Comparing the Effect of Foot Reflexology Massage, Foot Bath and Their Combination on Quality of Sleep in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome

“…Bagheri-Nesami et al, studied the impact of foot massage on sleep quality in patients with ischemic heart disease admitted to the CCU and concluded that acupressure had a therapeutic effect on improving the quality of sleep in patients with ACS. 8 …”

“…The most common treatment for lack of sleep is the use of medication, but literature review shows that there is no significant difference in sleep quality between those who used medication and those who do not. 8 …”

Effect of Foot Reflexology Massage and Foot Bath on the Sleep Quality of Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome: A Comparative Study

“…The most common method to treat or deal with sleep problems is using drugs. Considering the studies, there is no significant difference in the sleep quality of the patients using the drugs and the ones not using them (9).…”

The effect of acupressure on physiological parameters of myocardial infarction patients: A randomized clinical trial

“…Then, the researchers performed acupressure on the mentioned points by both hands for the intervention group for 2 min, during 3 days, twice a day, which was a total of 6 sessions from 10–12 AM and 3–5 PM. [ 17 ] Then, immediately after the intervention and 30 min later, the mentioned physiologic indices were measured again and recorded. [ 14 ] In the control group, 10 min before the procedure, patients' physiologic indices were measured and recorded; after explaining the procedure to them and laying them on their back, false points which were about 1 cm away from real points, shim points, were spuriously pressured for 2 min.…”

“…[ 14 ] In the control group, 10 min before the procedure, patients' physiologic indices were measured and recorded; after explaining the procedure to them and laying them on their back, false points which were about 1 cm away from real points, shim points, were spuriously pressured for 2 min. [ 17 ] Immediately after the procedure and 30 min later, the physiologic indices were again measured and recorded. After finishing 6 sessions of the intervention, the mean of the indices was recorded and analyzed based on the study goals.…”