A comparison between acute pressure block of the sciatic nerve and acupressure: methodology, analgesia, and mechanism involved

Acupressure versus parecoxib sodium in acute renal colic: A prospective cohort study

Background

Here provides a complementary treatment, acupressure at the Qiu acupoint, a novel acupoint, which potentially alleviates renal colic.

Materials and methods

90 patients were included in this study. Acupressure-group patients (n = 46) were administered acupressure at the Qiu acupoint following a preset protocol. Parecoxib sodium-group patients (n = 44) were administered parecoxib sodium (40 mg) (via the direct intravenous route). The visual analog scale (VAS) was used to evaluate pain intensity at baseline and at 1, 5, 10, 20, 30, and 120 min after initiating the intervention. Linear mixed effects model was performed to detect the rate of decrease of VAS per time and their covariant effect on the efficacy of acupressure.

Results

No significant statistical differences in baseline data and VAS scores were observed. The acupressure group obtained lower VAS scores at the 1st, 5th, 10th, and 20th minute than the parecoxib sodium group after initiating the intervention (mean: 4.33 vs. 7.61, mean difference (MD): 3.29, 95% CI: 0.23, 2.84; mean: 2.65 vs. 7.61, MD: 4.96, 95% CI: 4.44, 5.49; mean: 1.63 vs. 6.59, MD: 4.96, 95% CI: 4.48, 5.44; mean: 1.26 vs. 3.64 MD: 2.38, 95% CI: 1.87, 2.88; P < 0.05). The markedly effective rate was similar between the two groups. The linear mixed effects model demonstrated that acupressure at the Qiu point was significantly faster than parecoxib sodium in decreasing VAS scores with an estimate of -2.05 (95% CI: -2.51, -1.59, p = 0.000), especially within 10 minutes with an estimate of 0.18 (95% CI: 0.12, 0.25, p = 0.000).

Conclusion

Acupressure at the Qiu acupoint is significantly faster than parecoxib sodium in decreasing VAS scores within 10 minutes.

Clinical trial registration

http://www.chictr.org.cn/, identifier 2100047168.

Contemporary acupressure therapy: Adroit cure for painless recovery of therapeutic ailments

Since time immemorial, complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) have played a significant role in human health care. CAM is known to have a strong reputation and reliability within every culture to provide basic health care treatment for patients. CAM acts as a better therapeutic option in human being for treating various diseases and improving quality of life with apt consideration to the economic aspects. Acupressure, one of the known CAM, originated in ancient China is based on the principal of acupoints activation across the meridians which correct the imbalance between Qi. Activation of specific points on the meridians is known to facilitate reduction of pain at the local sites. It also reduces the pain from other body parts. This review outlines various types, devices and mechanisms involved in the acupressure treatment.

A self-administered method of acute pressure block of sciatic nerves for short-term relief of dental pain: a randomized study

Objectives

While stimulation of the peripheral nerves increases the pain threshold, chronic pressure stimulation of the sciatic nerve is associated with sciatica. We recently found that acute pressure block of the sciatic nerve inhibits pain. Therefore, we propose that, the pain pathology-causing pressure is chronic, not acute. Here, we report a novel self-administered method: acute pressure block of the sciatic nerves is applied by the patients themselves for short-term relief of pain from dental diseases.

Design

This was a randomized, single-blind study.

Setting

Hospital patients.

Patients

Patients aged 16–60 years with acute pulpitis, acute apical periodontitis, or pericoronitis of the third molar of the mandible experiencing pain ≥3 on the 11-point numerical pain rating scale.

Interventions

Three-minute pressure to sciatic nerves was applied by using the hands (hand pressure method) or by having the patients squat to force the thigh and shin as tightly as possible on the sandwiched sciatic nerve bundles (self-administered method).

Outcomes

The primary efficacy variable was the mean difference in pain scores from the baseline.

Results

One hundred seventy-two dental patients were randomized. The self-administered method produced significant relief from pain associated with dental diseases (P ≤ 0.001). The analgesic effect of the self-administered method was similar to that of the hand pressure method.

Conclusions

The self-administered method is easy to learn and can be applied at any time for pain relief. We believe that patients will benefit from this method.