جستجوی مقالات مرتبط با کلیدواژه « طب فشاری » در نشریات گروه « پزشکی »

Cardiovascular diseases are considered one of the most common causes of death worldwide. Given the increasing trend of heart diseases, one of the most common diagnostic and therapeutic methods that aid in the diagnosis and treatment of heart diseases is coronary angiography. Patients undergoing coronary angiography report significant anxiety, and various pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods are employed to cope with this anxiety. Non-pharmacological methods have gained popularity due to the numerous side effects of pharmacological interventions. This study aims to compare the effects of Acupressure and Benson relaxation on the level of anxiety in patients undergoing coronary angiography at the Seyed Al-Shohada Teaching and Treatment Center in Urmia in 2022.

This study is a quasi-experimental study conducted on 90 patients who were candidates for coronary angiography in Urmia. The samples were selected using convenience sampling, and the participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: control, Benson relaxation, and Acupressure. This study used a demographic questionnaire and the Spielberger anxiety questionnaire to collect data. Finally, the data were analyzed using SPSS ver.22 statistical software.

The results showed a statistically significant difference in the mean anxiety scores after the intervention compared to before the intervention in both the Acupressure and Benson relaxation groups(p<0.05). However, in the control group, no statistically significant difference was observed in anxiety scores before and after the intervention (p>0.05), and after the intervention, the mean anxiety score in the two intervention groups had decreased compared to the control group.

The present study demonstrated that both Acupressure and Benson relaxation interventions can be effective in reducing the level of anxiety in candidates for angiography. Therefore, considering the positive effects of Acupressure and Benson relaxation interventions, they are recommended as methods for alleviating anxiety.

Despite the very important role of breastfeeding in preventing the mortality of premature infants, the decrease in the volume of breast milk in mothers with premature infants is common. Acupressure is a non-pharmacological solution to increase milk volume. The aim of the present study was to review the effect of acupressure on the milk volume of mothers with premature infants.

In this narrative review, in order to find related studies, databases of Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, Proquest, Magiran, SID, Scopus, Researchgate, and Elsevier were searched using the keywords of acupressure, milk volume, premature infant, neonatal intensive care unit and their combination with AND and OR operators in Persian and English languages from 2010 to 2023.

In this review study, 6 articles were included. The results of the studies investigated in the present study showed that acupressure is effective in increasing the volume of breast milk. It should be noted that all the studies reviewed in this study indicated on the effect of acupressure on the volume of breast milk and differ only in the degree of effectiveness.

Reducing pain after surgery, especially cesarean section is one of the most important factors for maternal and infant health. Choosing the way of reducing pain with fewer complications has drawn the attention of researchers. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of Hugo point pressure and auricular seed acupressure on pain after cesarean section.

Methods & Materials: 

In this clinical trial, 168 pregnant women who were candidates for cesarean section, referred to the educational and medical centers of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences in 2020, were selected through purposive sampling and randomly divided into three groups: Hugo point pressure, auriculotherapy, and control. In the Hugo group, massage was applied on the li4 point (between the thumb and forefinger) for 10 minutes. 24 hours later, the intervention was repeated. Before and after the intervention, pain intensity was measured using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). In the auriculotherapy group, earrings were placed on the Shenmen point located in the earlobe. Pain was assessed by the VAS 20 minutes after the intervention and 24 hours later. No intervention was performed for the control group and only the researcher was present next to the studied subjects for 10 minutes. Data were analyzed by the SPSS software version 20 using paired t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). P<0.05 was considered significant.

The average pain score in the Hugo group was 6.70±1.55 before the intervention and 6.20±1.78 after the intervention (P=0.026). In the auriculotherapy group, the average pain score before the intervention was 5.99±1.75 and after the intervention was 4.66±2.01 (P<0.001). No significant difference was observed in the average score of pain intensity on the first day between the two groups, before the intervention (P=0.062). But the average score of pain intensity on the first day after the intervention was lower in the auriculotherapy group compared to the other two groups (P<0.001). On the second day, there was a significant difference in the average pain score between the three groups after the intervention (P=0.009).

The results of this study showed that both auriculotherapy and the Hugo method are effective for reducing pain after cesarean section; but the continuance of pain reduction after auriculotherapy was more than Hugo point pressure. These methods can be used along with other pharmaceutical methods to reduce pain after cesarean section.

Many patients with cancer suffer from fatigue, which may be related to their disease or treatment process. Fatigue aggravates the condition and increases the burden of the disease. Acupressure can be effective as a complementary method for patients' fatigue. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the effect of acupressure on the SP6 point on fatigue in the patients with leukemia hospitalized in Imam Khomeini Hospital in Urmia, Iran in 2022.

This study was conducted on 102 patients with leukemia admitted to Imam Khomeini Hospital in Urmia, Iran. The samples were selected by convenience sampling method and randomly assigned into acupressure intervention (n=34) and control (n=34) groups. First, a pre-test was conducted using a demographic questionnaire and fatigue scale of the patients. In the acupressure group, using SP6 point, acupressure was performed for four weeks and every day (5 minutes), along with routine care for each participant. In the control group, no intervention was done, and the participants only received routine care. After the intervention, a post-test with the above instruments was conducted in both groups. To evaluate the obtained data, coded research units were used and the results were analyzed by statistical software SPSS version 25 and by chi-square, Fisher, t-test and paired t-tests.

The results showed that the implementation of acupressure was effective in the intervention groups, and reduced their fatigue (P<0.001). However, the independent t-test showed no significant difference between the two groups in the overall fatigue score and its dimensions before the intervention (P>0.05).

The acupressure method is suggested as an inexpensive, easy, and non-complicated complementary method for managing fatigue in the patients with leukemia. This method reduces fatigue, leading to increased relaxation and improved quality of life in the patients with cancer.

Complaints of low back pain and fatigue caused by prolonged lying on the back are complications of angioplasty. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of acupressure on severity of low back pain and fatigue in patients after coronary artery angioplasty through femoral artery.

A simple randomized controlled clinical trial was carried out in three groups of patients (n= 75); experimental group, pseudo-intervention group, and control group. The study was performed in Sari Fatemeh Al-Zahra Hospital affiliated with Mazandaran University Medical Sciences, 2021. In experimental group, acupressure was applied to four points, including ST36, GV26, SI3, and BL60, each for two minutes, at two, four, six, and eight hours after angioplasty. In pseudo-intervention group, all measures performed in the experimental group were done without putting pressure. The control group received no intervention. The severity of low back pain was measured using Visual Analogue Scale and the severity of fatigue was measured using Visual Analog Fatigue Scale before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed applying descriptive and inferential statistics.

Severity of back pain significantly decreased in experimental group after four hours (P=0.001), six hours (P<0.001), and eight hours (P=0.01) following angioplasty compared with other groups. Also, in this group, severity of fatigue significantly decreased after four hours (P<0.001) and six hours (P<0.001) following angioplasty when compared to other two groups.

Acupressure was effective in reducing the severity of low back pain and fatigue in patients undergoing angioplasty. Therefore, this method can be introduced as an easy, non-invasive and helpful method in reducing the severity of low back pain and fatigue in these patients.

 Anxiety is an unpleasant condition that occurs in the majority of people before surgery, and it can cause bleeding and complications after surgery and it can also affect the induction of anesthesia and recovery from it. Nowadays, due to the side effects of medications, non-pharmacological and non-invasive treatments are receiving a lot of attention.The purpose of this research is to determine the effectiveness of acupressure and recommended recitals on the patients’ anxiety before surgery in the hospitals of Ferdows city in 2019-2020.

 This study was a double-blind clinical trial research that was conducted on 150 patients who were candidates for surgery. The samples were selected using convenience sampling. The participants were randomly assigned to one of the three acupressure groups (n=50), recommended recitals (n=50) and the control group (n=50). In order to apply acupressure, the third eye point (Yintang) was pressed for 10 minutes, and in the recommended recitals group, the patients listened to Surah Hamad and Zekr several times using an audio source and headphones. In the control group, pressure was applied to the false point for 10 minutes. The level of anxiety was measured using the VAS questionnaire in all three groups before, after and 30 minutes after the intervention respectively. Data were entered into SPSS software version 19 using descriptive and inferential statistical methods. 

 In recommended recitals group, the average anxiety score before, after and 30 minutes after the intervention had a significant difference with each other (P<0.001). Also, the average anxiety score after the intervention was significantly lower than immediately and 30 minutes after the intervention in this group (P<0.001). Meanwhile, the average score of anxiety in the acupressure group (p=0.06) and the control group (p=0.10) did not show any significant difference with each other at three times.

 Recommended recitals can reduce anxiety before surgery and can be used as a non-drug, safe and cheap method to reduce anxiety before surgery.

Sleep disorder is one of the common disorders during pregnancy and it is important to identify effective interventions to improve the health of pregnant women. The present study was conducted aimed to determine the effect of acupressure on the sleep quality of pregnant women in the third trimester of pregnancy.

This clinical trial study was conducted in 2018 on 60 pregnant women in the third trimester of pregnancy referring to the health centers in Hamedan city. The study tools were Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index Questionnaire and Visual Linear Pain Scale Questionnaire. The subjects were placed in two groups of test and control. In the test group, acupressure was applied to real points for 3 weeks, and in the control group, acupressure was applied to false points for 3 weeks. Both groups completed the visual linear pain scale questionnaire before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed by SPSS statistical software (version 18) and Mann-Whitney, Fisher's exact and repeated measurement analysis. P<0.05 was considered as a significant level.

There was no significant difference between the two groups before the intervention in terms of sleep quality and other investigated variables (p=0.691). The effect of the intervention over time in improving the quality of night and daytime sleep was significant between the two groups (p<0.001), but the mutual effect of the intervention between the two groups did not show a difference in the duration of daytime sleep (p=0.534).

Acupressure can improve the quality of night and day sleep in pregnant women in the third trimester of pregnancy, so this method can be used as an auxiliary method in improving the sleep disorder of pregnant women.

Most patients experience anxiety during the Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL). One of the on-pharmacological ways to control anxiety in patients with ESWL is acupressure. This study aims to determine the effect of acupressure on anxiety in older women candidates for ESWL

This randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted on 66 eligible older women candidates for ESWL referred to Ordibehesht Surgical Center in Isfahan, Iran in 2021. They were selected by a continuous sampling method and assigned to the intervention and control groups by the block randomization method. The intervention group received acupressure for 20 minutes, while in the control group, the acupoints were only touched (without applying pressure). Data collection tools were the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and Visual Anxiety Scale, completed 60 minutes before and immediately after the intervention. T-test, chi-square test, and Mann-Whitney U test were used to analyze the data.

The two groups were similar in terms of demographic variables. Before the intervention, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in anxiety (P> 0.05). After the intervention, the mean severity of anxiety was 3.70±0.77 in the experimental group and 7.36±0.55 in the control group. The mean post-test quality of anxiety was 35.48±5.97 in the intervention group and 61.39±2.42 in the control group. These differences between the two groups were statistically significant (P<0.001).

Acupressure is a safe and non-pharmacological intervention that can reduce the anxiety of older women candidates for ESWL.

Pain and anxiety as predictable features of abortion process can reduce the quality of clinical care. Therefore, this study was performed aimed to determine the effect of acupressure at LI4 point of pain and anxiety during abortion.

This randomized clinical controled trial studywas done in 2021 on 120 women during abortion hospitalized in Niknafs maternity hospital in Rafsanjan. The subjects were equally divided into three groups of intervention, touch and control. In the intervention group, acupressure at LI4 point was applied bilaterally during 10-second periods of pressure and 2-second rest for 20 minutes. In the touch group, the above point was touched without pressure. Before, immediately and half an hour after the intervention, pain and anxiety scores were measured by Visual Analog Scale(VAS) and Spielberger state anxiety questionnaire, respectively. Data were analyzed by SPSS software (version 22) using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Kruskal-wallis, Repeated Measurement. P< 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

The results showed that the three groups were similar in demographic characteristics, except for the number of abortions and deliveries. After adjusting the effect of the number of abortions and deliveries, the mean score of pain within the groups (time effect) (p = 0.291), and between the groups (group effect) (p = 0.572) and the trend of pain score changes between the groups in consecutive measurement times (p = 0.262) were not significantly different. After adjusting the effect of the number of abortion, number of delivery and baseline anxiety score, comparison of the trend of changes in anxiety scores of the three groups in two consecutive measurement (interaction effect of time and group) did not show a statistically significant difference (p = 0.896).

Based on the results of this study, acupressure intervention could not manage the pain and anxiety of women during abortion.

Most pregnant women are concerned about fetal abnormalities and screening tests. Pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods are used to control anxiety in pregnancy. But, there is still no suitable and ideal strategy to reduce anxiety in pregnancy and childbirth. Therefore, this study was performed with aim to compare the effect of foot reflexology and H7 point acupressure on anxiety in women undergoing amniocentesis.

This clinical trial study was performed in 2020on 84 pregnant women candidates for amniocentesis in sonography clinic in Birjand. Individuals were assigned to three groups: foot reflexology, H7 point acupressure and control. In the intervention groups, foot reflexology in the solar plexus and H7 point acupressure were performed by the researcher once 30 minutes before amniocentesis. Reflexology and acupressure were also performed by mothers during the waiting period for amniocentesis. The control group did not receive any intervention. Data collection tools were demographic and pregnancy questionnaires and Spielberger State Anxiety Scale. The Spielberger state questionnaire was completed before the intervention, immediately after and 10 days after amniocentesis and trait anxiety before the intervention and ten days after amniocentesis. Data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 16) and ANOVA, chi-square, analysis of variance with Bonferroni post hoc test and paired t-test. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

The results showed that state anxiety immediately and 10 days after amniocentesis was significantly lower in the subjects of foot reflexology and acupressure than in the control group (p <0.001). The mean anxiety score at 10 days after amniocentesis was significantly lower in the acupressure group than in the foot reflexology (p <0.001). Trait anxiety 10 days after amniocentesis was significantly lower in the groups of foot reflexology and hand acupressure than in the control group and also in the group of hand acupressure compared to foot reflexology (p <0.001).

Both foot reflexology and H7 acupressure were effective in reducing amniocentesis anxiety separately, but the effect of H7 point acupressure was greater than that of foot reflexology.

Non-stress test is the most widely used primary method for assessing fetal health. The mother's mental state affects the fetal heart rate pattern. As maternal anxiety increases, fetal movements and beat to beat variability decrease. Acupressure releases enkephalins such as serotonin and endorphins and reduces maternal stress and anxiety levels. Therefore, this study was performed aimed to determine the effect of H7 point acupressure on fetal heart rate pattern in stress-free test.

This randomized clinical trial study was performed in 2020-2021 on 60 nulliparous mothers with gestational age of 37-42 weeks in Birjand Valiasr Hospital. The subjects were randomly assigned to two groups of intervention and pseudoacupressure. In the intervention group, point H7 acupressure was touched in each hand for 2.5 minutes and in the control group, a false point in the hand was touched. Non-stress test was performed for 20 minutes before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 16) and Chi-square, Independent t-test, paired t-test, Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon tests. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

After the intervention, the variables of number of non-stress test cases, number of fetal heart rate increase, number of fetal movements, and beat to beat variability were significantly different in the intervention group compared to the control group and also compared to before the intervention (p<0.001). But the mean variable of fetal heart rate in the two groups after the intervention was not significantly different than before the intervention (P = 0.732).

Acupressure can improve fetal non-stress test and its parameters.

The mother's vital signs change in the face of stressful phenomena Acupressure improves vital function by secreting enkephalins. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of acupressure, LV3 point on maternal physiological parameters and non-stress testing of the fetus.

A clinical trial study was performed on 84 primiparous mothers. The study tool was a questionnaire in three sections: demographics, maternal vital signs and interpretation of non-stress fetal test. After measuring the mother's vital signs, non-stress testing of the fetus was done. After 5 minutes, in the intervention group, the researcher applied a pressure of 3 kg to the LV3 point for 1 minute, rested for 30 seconds and performed 2.5 minutes for each leg. In the control group, the researcher touched a point near LV3 (the tip of the big toe). Five minutes after the non-stress test, the vital signs of the mothers were re-measured and the NST print was interpreted by a specialist and an uninformed person. The collected information was entered into SPSS software, analyzed.

In the intervention group, the difference between the mean variables of fetal heart rate and fetal movements was statistically significant, in the second 10 minutes after the intervention was more than the first 10 minutes (p <0.05). The difference between the means in increasing the basal rate of fetal heart rate and the number of fetal movements in the first and second stages in the intervention group was more than the control group and was statistically significant (p <0.05). But the pressure on LV3 point on pulse and blood pressure of pregnant mothers in the study group was not statistically significant.

Acupressure can be used to reduce the false non-reactive test results of non-stress fetal test.

Migraine is a very debilitating disorder despite medication treatments. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of acupressure on severity of acute migraine headaches.

This randomized controlled trial was performed in 84 migraine sufferers attending the Emergency Department in Sari Buali Hospital, Iran 2019. Patients were randomly divided into three groups (n=28) of acupressure, control, and sham using Random Allocation Software. In intervention group, acupressure was applied to eight points for 8 seconds in each acupoint followed by two-second rest periods and this sequence was repeated for 3 minutes. The control group received only medical treatments and in sham group, acupressure was applied to eight unrelated points. Pain intensity was measured by Visual Analog Scale (VAS) before and 24 minutes after acupressure. Data were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney U test.

Before the intervention, the median (Q3-Q1) pain intensity in intervention, sham, and control groups were 6, 5, and 5, respectively (P=0.175). After the intervention, the values were 1.5, 3, and 5 in intervention group, sham, and control groups, respectively (P<0.001). After the intervention, the mean score for pain intensity was significantly lower in intervention group than the sham (P<0.001) and control (P<0.001) groups. This rate was significantly lower in sham group than the control group (P<0.001).

Acupuncture alongside other treatments can be helpful in reducing the severity of pain caused by acute headaches.

Back and pelvic pain is one of the most common problems during pregnancy. Acupressure is one of the treatment strategies. Therefore, this study was performed with aim to determine the effect of electro-acupressure of LI4 and LI11 on the severity and disability of in pregnant women with low back and pelvic pain.

This randomized clinical trial study was performed on 101 pregnant women with low back and pelvic pain referred to Booeinzahra health centers from April to November 2020. The subjects were divided into intervention and control groups using block random allocation. The intervention group participated in 12 sessions of electro-acupressure on Heogu and Quchi from 26 to 32 weeks of pregnancy. The control group received standard prenatal care. The Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire and Visual Analogue of Pain were completed in both groups before, 2 and 4 weeks after the intervention. Data were analyzed using R software and mixed effects model tests and post hoc test. P< 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

The results of the study showed that 4 weeks intervention significantly reduced pain intensity (6.42 ± 0.83, 3.00 ±1.04) and disability (14.62 ± 1.29, 7.9±2.22) in the intervention group compared to the control group (P <0.001).

Electrical stimulation of Hugo and Kochi needles during pregnancy can improve the severity of pelvic and low back pain and disability; it is recommended as a non-pharmacological method for low-risk pregnant women.

Pain and anxiety caused by various diseases majorly affect the patient’s quality of life. The role of anxiety and stress in increasing the human’s disease morbidity have been confirmed. This necessitates applying different form of therapeutic interventions to reduce anxiety and pain and increase the quality of life of patients. In the present study, the effectiveness of acupressure to reducing anxiety, pain and increasing the patient’s life quality was investigated.

This is a review study, which evaluated previous researches using systematic review method. We searched keywords including Acupressure, Anxiety, Pain, Quality of Life and Disease in Persian and English language scientific Databases between 2010 and 2021. Qualitative evaluation of searched articles was applied the 32-factor COREQ guideline to increase the richness of the retrieved articles numbers, and the results of articles that were more relevant to the subject were excluded.

Current therapies to control pain and anxiety have different forms of risks and limitations. Intensification of drug therapy or exploratory surgery for pain can have iatrogenic side effects, exacerbation of disease activity, psychological distress, and patients’ quality of life deterioration. Acupressure is a safe yet inexpensive intervention and can be a substitute for anti-anxiety drugs. It is also easy to learn and applicable at home, and studies showed its positive effects on nursing interventions and patient care.

Discussion and Conclusion:

Acupressure is a comfortable and safe intervention and its positive results were recorded in various diseases. Therefore, acupressure can be used as a non-pharmacological method alongside drug therapy to reduce patients’ suffering. 

Pain is one of the common consequences of removing the arterial sheath. This study was performed to compare the effect of two methods of acupressure and ice pack on pain during arterial sheet removal in patients under angioplasty.

In this clinical trial, 90 patients were randomly assigned to three 30-member groups. In the ice bag group, an ice bag was placed on the right side of the patients’ femoral region for 15 min and then the sheath was removed. In the acupuncture group, the pressure was applied in the Heguchr('39')s point 20 min before the sheath removal. In the control group, only the nurse for 20 min. Visual analog scale touched the hand of patients (VAS) was used to measure the severity of pain.

The mean pain score in the ice pack and acupressure groups was 1.6 ± 1.6 and 2.4 ± 1.4, respectively, and in the control group was 4.03 ± 1.27. After the arterial sheet was removed, there was a significant difference between the three groups in terms of pain score (P= 0.0001). However, despite the lower score of the pain in the ice bag group, it showed no significant difference with the acupuncture group (P= 0.065).

Both intervention methods were effective in pain control. In addition, patients did not complain of either applying the ice bag or acupuncture. Thus, both of them can be used for this purpose.

 Sleep disorders in nurses have a significant impact on their patient care quality. This study aims to evaluate the effect of acupressure at ShenMen acupoint (HT7) on the sleep quality of nurses in emergency departments and Intensive Care Units (ICUs).

 In this randomized clinical trial with pre-test-post-test design with control group, participants were 80 nurses working in emergency departments and ICUs of hospitals in Kashan, Iran. There were divided into two groups of intervention and control using the block randomization method after signing a written informed consent form. The intervention group underwent acupressure intervention at HT7 in both hands twice per day for 4 weeks. The control group did not receive any intervention. Data collection tools were a demographic form and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire. Collected data were analyzed in SPSS software using descriptive statistics and independent t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, Chi-square test, and paired t-test, considering a significance level of 0.05.

Pre-test results showed no statistically significant difference in the Mean±SD score of PSQI between the two groups of intervention (6.94±1.96) and control (7.53±3.57) (P>0.05), but the post-test results showed a significant increase in the mean score of PSQI in the intervention group (4.48±1.61) compared to the control group (6.83±2.81) (P<0.001).

 Acupressure on ShenMen acupoint can increase the sleep quality of nurses; therefore, it is recommended for the management of their sleeps.

 Hemodialysis is one of the most common treatment methods in kidney patients. To do this, repeated insertion of the needle into the vessel is necessary. Patients treated with hemodialysis are exposed to stress and pain caused by perforation of their arteriovenous fistula about 300 times a year. More than 1/5 of hemodialysis patients express this pain as unbearable. This study aims to evaluate the effect of acupressure at SP6 and ST36 acupoints on the pain caused by fistula needle placement in hemodialysis patients.

 This study is a double-blind randomized clinical trial conducted in 2016 on 90 hemodialysis patients with arteriovenous fistula in Mashhad, Iran. They were randomly divided into three groups of SP6, ST36, and control. Data were collected after obtaining a written informed consent by a demographic form and the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Data analysis was performed in SPSS v.16 software by using Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Kruskal-Wallis test, one-way ANOVA, paired t-test, and Chi-square test.

 There was a statistically significant difference between VAS scores after the intervention in all three group (P<0.001). The Mean±SD VAS scores before the intervention in SP6, ST36, control groups were 54.47±18.93, 51.5±22.83, 46.6±17.73, respectively which changed to 45.63±20.53, 40.2±20.01, and 51.87±19.05 after the intervention, indicating that acupressure at SP6 and ST36 acupoints reduced pain in patients, while the pain increased in the control group.

 Acupressure at SP6 and ST36 acupoints is an effective method in relieving pain caused by the insertion of a needle into the arteriovenous fistula in hemodialysis patients.

Amniocentesis is the most common invasive procedure used to diagnose prenatal genetic disorders. Pregnant women who are candidates for amniocentesis are often afraid of this procedure because they predict it to be painful and describe the pain as a mental experience. Therefore, the present study was performed to determine the effect of acupressure of point H7 hand on amniocentesis pain in pregnant women.

This clinical trial study was performed in the sonography clinic in Birjand city on 60 pregnant women who were candidates for amniocentesis by available sampling method. Individuals were divided into two groups of intervention and control through drawing lots (even and odd days). In the intervention group, acupressure was performed at point H7 for 5 minutes in each hand (a total of 10 minutes) 30 minutes before amniocentesis and the control group did not receive any intervention. Data collection tools in the present study were demographic and pregnancy questionnaires and visual pain scale tools. Immediately after amniocentesis, pain intensity was measured in both groups. Data were analyzed using SPSS16 software and independent t-test and chi-square.

The results showed that in the control group immediately after amniocentesis the mean pain intensity was 6.95±1.82 and in the intervention group, the mean pain intensity was 4.43±1.33. The mean pain intensity immediately after amniocentesis was significantly lower in the acupressure group than in the control group (p <0.001).

The use of H7 hand acupressure was effective in reducing amniocentesis pain. Therefore, midwives can teach this method to pregnant mothers who are candidates for amniocentesis to reduce the pain.