The effect of acupressure at LI4 point on pain and anxiety during abortion: a double-blind randomized controlled clinical trial

Pain and anxiety as predictable features of abortion process can reduce the quality of clinical care. Therefore, this study was performed aimed to determine the effect of acupressure at LI4 point of pain and anxiety during abortion.

This randomized clinical controled trial studywas done in 2021 on 120 women during abortion hospitalized in Niknafs maternity hospital in Rafsanjan. The subjects were equally divided into three groups of intervention, touch and control. In the intervention group, acupressure at LI4 point was applied bilaterally during 10-second periods of pressure and 2-second rest for 20 minutes. In the touch group, the above point was touched without pressure. Before, immediately and half an hour after the intervention, pain and anxiety scores were measured by Visual Analog Scale(VAS) and Spielberger state anxiety questionnaire, respectively. Data were analyzed by SPSS software (version 22) using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Kruskal-wallis, Repeated Measurement. P< 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

The results showed that the three groups were similar in demographic characteristics, except for the number of abortions and deliveries. After adjusting the effect of the number of abortions and deliveries, the mean score of pain within the groups (time effect) (p = 0.291), and between the groups (group effect) (p = 0.572) and the trend of pain score changes between the groups in consecutive measurement times (p = 0.262) were not significantly different. After adjusting the effect of the number of abortion, number of delivery and baseline anxiety score, comparison of the trend of changes in anxiety scores of the three groups in two consecutive measurement (interaction effect of time and group) did not show a statistically significant difference (p = 0.896).

Based on the results of this study, acupressure intervention could not manage the pain and anxiety of women during abortion.