Effect of acupressure on pain intensity and physiological indices in patients undergoing extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy: a randomized double-blind sham-controlled clinical trial

Abstract

Abstract Background Despite the widespread use of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) as a treatment for kidney stones, it is essential to apply methods to control pain and improve patient comfort during this procedure. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of acupressure at the Qiu point on pain intensity and physiological indices in patients undergoing ESWL. Methods This randomized, sham-controlled clinical trial was conducted at the Shahid Beheshti Educational-medical Center in Hamadan City (western Iran) from May to August 2023. Seventy-four eligible patients were split into intervention (n = 37) and sham (n = 37) groups. Ten minutes before lithotripsy, the intervention group received acupressure at the Qiu point, while the sham group received touch at a neutral point. The primary outcomes were pain intensity measured by the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and physiological indices such as blood pressure and heart rate at baseline, 1, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 min after the intervention. The secondary outcomes included lithotripsy success and satisfaction with acupressure application. Results The analysis of 70 patients showed no significant differences in the demographic and clinical information of the patients across the two groups before the study (P > 0.05). Generalized estimating equations revealed that the interaction effects of time and group in pain and heart rate were significant at 30 and 40 min (P < 0.05). The results of this analysis for systolic blood pressure revealed a significant interaction at 30 min (P = 0.035). However, no significant interaction effects were found for diastolic blood pressure changes (P > 0.05). Conclusions Acupressure at the Qiu point positively impacts pain in patients undergoing ESWL treatment and increases their satisfaction. However, these results for physiological indices require further studies. Thus, acupressure can be considered a simple, easy, and effective option for pain management in patients during this procedure. Trial registration [https://en.irct.ir/trial/69117], identifier [IRCT20190524043687N4].