Changes in Sleep With Auricular Point Acupressure for Chronic Low Back Pain

Behav Sleep Med. 2016;14(3):279-94. doi: 10.1080/15402002.2014.981820. Epub 2015 Aug 5.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to report sleep quality from 4 weeks of auricular point acupressure that was designed for chronic low back pain and determine the relationship between pain intensity and sleep quality. Participants were randomized into the APA group (n = 30) or the sham-APA group (n = 31). At baseline assessment, 87% of the participants reported poor sleep quality. Participants who received APA had decreased daytime disturbance and improved global Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores at end of intervention (EOI) and 1-month follow up compared to participants in the sham-APA group. For the APA group, both the sleep duration and wake after sleep onset decreased gradually during the 4-week APA (0.56% and 0.23% daily change, respectively).

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acupressure*
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Chronic Pain / complications
  • Chronic Pain / therapy*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Low Back Pain / complications
  • Low Back Pain / therapy*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Sleep / physiology*
  • Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / complications
  • Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / physiopathology
  • Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / therapy
  • Time Factors
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Wakefulness / physiology
  • Young Adult