Effects of SP۶ and ST۳۶ Acupressure on Pain and Physiological Indexes in Addicted Men: A Single-Blind Randomized Clinical Trial

Background: Pain is the most crucial reason to seek treatment, and acupressure is one of the most common ways to relieve pain; therefore, this study was conducted with the aim to investigate the effectiveness of acupressure on the reduction of pain and stability of physiological indexes in addicted men. Methods: The present single-blind, randomized, clinical trial was performed on ۹۰ participants who were hospitalized in an addiction treatment camp in Masjed-e-Soleyman, Iran. The participants were divided into acupressure group (n = ۴۵) and control group (n = ۴۵) through allocating permutation blocks method. The acupressure group received acupressure on SP۶ and ST۳۶ points for ۳ consecutive sessions and each session for ۱۰ minutes. The data collection tools used included a demographic information questionnaire, the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ), and a physiological index registration form, tympanic thermometer, sphygmomanometer, pulse oximetry device, and digital watch. Repeated measures ANOVA was used to analyze the data. P ≤ ۰.۰۵ was considered statically significant. Findings: There was a statistically significant decrease in the sensory dimension of pain in the acupressure group compared to the control group in all ۳ sessions (P ≤ ۰.۰۰۱; P ≤ ۰.۰۰۱; P = ۰.۰۰۱, respectively). There was no statistically significant difference in the overall pain score (P ≥ ۰.۰۰۵), emotional pain dimension (P ≥ ۰.۰۰۵), and physiological indexes of pain (P ≥ ۰.۰۰۵) between the two groups after the intervention. Conclusion: Acupressure is a non-invasive and cost-effective method that reduces the sensory dimension of pain, and its application does not require special tools; thus, the use of such a safe and secure method for relieving pain is recommended.