Acupressure reduced the sensory experience of pain in men undergoing addiction treatment without changing overall pain or physiological measures.
In a single-blind randomized clinical trial, hospitalized men receiving addiction treatment in Iran were assigned to either acupressure or usual care. The intervention involved three consecutive ten-minute sessions of pressure applied to two specified body points. Researchers assessed pain using a standardized pain questionnaire and recorded physiological measures including temperature, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and pulse rate.
Compared with usual care, acupressure consistently reduced sensory pain, such as the physical qualities and intensity of discomfort. However, it did not significantly alter total pain, emotional aspects of pain, or the measured physiological indicators.
