The effect of acupressure on upper extremity pain and quality of life in patients hemodialysis treatment: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background and aims: Acupressure is a commonly used method to reduce the severity of pain. This study was conducted to determine the effect of acupressure on pain severity and quality of life in patients with upper extremity pain due to hemodialysis. Method: The study was completed with a total of 50 patients, consisting of 25 intervention group and 25 control group patients. In the intervention group, acupressure was applied to five acupressure points on the arms and shoulders in the first half of the dialysis sessions carried out for six weeks and for three days per week. Results: There was a significant decrease (p <.05) between the VAS pain score median values of the preliminary monitoring of patients in the intervention group and their VAS pain score median values recorded six weeks later. Conclusions: Acupressure reduces extremity pain and increases the quality of life in dialysis patients.