Effect of Acupressure on Low Back Pain Intensity and Depression in Patients with Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain

Low back pain (LBP) is the leading cause of disability in the world. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of acupressure on LBP intensity and depression among chronic nonspecific LBP patients.

This sham-controlled randomized clinical trial was performed on 84 patients with chronic nonspecific LBP. The data were collected using a demographic information questionnaire, the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). The participants were randomly assigned to acupressure (n = 42) and sham (n = 42) groups. The acupressure group was trained on how to apply pressure on Yin tang, Feng Chi, and Shu Fu acupoints; nevertheless, the sham group was trained on how to apply pressure on Chen Jiang, Huang Shu, and Ji ache acupoints. The participants in both groups applied acupressure once a day for 4 weeks. Both groups completed the VAS and the BDI-II again one day after the intervention.

No significant differences in LBP intensity (P = 0.45) and depression (P = 0.26) were observed between the two groups before the intervention. By controlling the baseline scores of LBP and depression, analysis of covariance revealed that the LBP and depression of the acupressure group significantly improved after the intervention, compared to the sham group (P < 0.05).

Applying pressure on Shu Fu, Yin Tang, and Feng Chi points is effective in reducing LBP and depression among chronic nonspecific LBP patients. The findings of this study can be used in designing and evaluating more robust protocols.