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VIEW 2006 CONFERENCE PICTURES HERE
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The British Columbia Acupressure Therapists'
Association.
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DOUBLE- BL1ND RESEARCH PAPER ON ACUPRESSURE
Submitted by Kathy deBucy
In May 2002, the Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, University of Vienna conducted a double-blind study on acupressure administered to trauma victims by paramedics, at the site of accident or en route to the hospital. The goal was to determine whether acupressure reduced pain and stress for victims of minor trauma. Patients were assigned to one of three groups:
1. Group 1, (true acupressure), patients in this group were stimulated at the acupressure points of Ll 4, P 9, P 6, BL 60, GV 20.2. Group 2, (false acupressure), patients were stimulated at sham points (middle of dorsal wrist, lateral metacarpal phalangeal junction of the second finger, middle of clavicle, middle of patella, and middle of lateral malleolus). .
3. Group 3, (no acupressure), patients did not receive any acupressure. .
Interesting to note, none of the paramedics administering the acupressure had knowledge about or was experienced with acupressure or similar treatments.
Results of the study showed that Group 1 patients benefited the most (of course, we already knew that!) in the following ways: anxiety was reduced; heart rate was reduced; pain relief lasted 30 minutes or in some case, even for a few days.
The study was designed to prove that acupressure is a suitable and easy-to-use technique in first aid and prehospital emergency medicine. The main result of this trial is that well performed acupressure even by a nonphysician - is a fast and effective treatment of pain, involving no equipment therefore saving dollars in the health care system.
The final summarization states that "we recommend this technique for emergency physicians and also for nonacademic personnel, such as nurses, paramedics, firefighter, or emergency medical technicians."
Those of you wishing the detailed study it is titled Prehospital Analgesia with Acupressure in Victims of Minor Trauma: A Prospective, Randomized Double-Blinded Trial and has been downloaded for your convenience in Acrobat PDF format.
This is significant in that it is a double-blind study; it has been conducted by a University and has supporting theories to convince mainstream health care practitioners of acupressure's place in medicine.
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