Self-Administered Acupressure Treatment May Benefit Those with Chronic Low Back Pain

by | Jan 20, 2022 | 2019, Alternative Therapies

Written by Taylor Woosley, Staff Writer. Six weeks of self-administered acupressure resulted in an improvement in fatigue by 26% and a reduction in pain by 35-36% compared to usual care.

back painChronic low back pain (CLBP) is a prevalent public health burden and is the leading cause of disability in individuals younger than 45 years 1. Chronic low back pain is associated with persistent pain lasting for 3 months or longer, chronic fatigue, limited physical activity, and is the leading reason for sick leave from work 2. Annually, 10% to 30% of the US population reported experiencing CLBP, with percentages as high as 65% to 80% in US adults 3. CLBP can arise from a multitude of interacting factors ranging from physical conditions (disc degeneration), psychological conditions (depression) or lifestyle factors (physical inactivity or sleep deficits) 4. Management and treatment of chronic low back pain can be a challenge for clinicians due to the large variation of possible causes and manifestations 5. Acupressure, the method of pressing acupuncture points with a finger, has been used by physical therapists as a low-cost option to manage chronic pain 6. In this method, the pressure applied to specific points in the body results in improved circulation and endorphin release, leading to muscle relaxation and a reduction in pain 7.

In this six-week randomized controlled pilot trial, 67 participants (aged 21-86 years) were divided into three groups to receive relaxing acupressure, stimulating acupressure, or usual care for their back pain and fatigue. Inclusion criteria consisted of being 18 years or older, experiencing nonspecific chronic low back pain persisting for at least three months, and having consistent levels of pain and fatigue over the course of the three months. To assess fatigue levels, participants had to rate their fatigue using the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI) and pain was measured by the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) with outcomes compared at baseline and after the six-week treatment period. Additionally, sleep disturbance was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index which is a self-reported measurement focused on sleep quality, duration, efficiency, disturbances, and use of sleeping medications. After six weeks of self-administered acupressure, the results were as follows:

  • The stimulating acupressure group had the only significant effect on fatigue reduction. Mean fatigue decreased from 4.3 at baseline to 3.2 at six weeks based on BFI measurements, with a 26% reduction in fatigue (p= 0.0330).
  • Pain reduction was observed in both the relaxing and stimulating acupressure groups (4.3 to 2.9 for relaxing [p= 0.0156] and 4.5 to 2.9 for stimulating [p= 0.0198]), with an average pain reduction of 35-36%.
  • No significant differences were found in the quality of sleep in the acupressure and usual care groups.

In conclusion, six weeks of self-administered acupressure resulted in a clinically significant reduction (>30% reduction) of chronic low back pain compared to usual care. Furthermore, a decrease in severity of fatigue was noted after six weeks compared to baseline results. Study results suggest that acupressure can be used as a low-cost and low-risk treatment for chronic low back pain. Study limitations include the small size of the sample study and the potential for response bias. Researchers note that larger studies need to occur in order to further understand the effects of relaxing and stimulating acupressure on fatigue and chronic pain management.

Source: Murphy, Susan Lynn, Richard Edmund Harris, Nahid Roonizi Keshavarzi, and Suzanna Maria Zick. “Self-administered acupressure for chronic low back pain: a randomized controlled pilot trial.” Pain Medicine 20, no. 12 (2019): 2588-2597.

© 2019 American Academy of Pain Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

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Posted January 20, 2022.

Taylor Woosley studied biology at Purdue University before becoming a 2016 graduate of Columbia College Chicago with a major in Writing. She currently resides in Glen Ellyn, IL.

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