Effects of Acupressure for Stroke Patients

Significant effects of Meridian Acupressure for stroke patients on the functions of affected upper extremities, activity of daily living, and depression.

The study “Effects of Meridian Acupressure for Stoke Patients in Korea” by H.S .Kang, S. R. Kok and J. S. Kang, published in Journal of Clinical Nursing in 2009, showed significant effects of using acupressure on stroke patients to improve their daily life functions.

The research took place in K Oriental Hospital in Korea to examine the effects of acupressure for stroke patients on 1) the functions of affected upper extremities; 2) activity of daily living; and 3) depression after stroke.

56 participants were divided into two groups with 28 participants in the experimental group and 28 participants in the control group. For the experimental group, acupressure treatment was applied everyday for 10 minutes for two weeks. As for the control group, only routine care was applied.

The measures were:
- hand dynamometer for grip power
- 15 point graphic rating scale for pain
- distance round the index finger for edema
- electrogoniomety for the passive ROM of the upper extremities
- activity of daily living scale
- six-face rating scale for depression

Data were collected from March 2003–September 2004. The results showed significant differences between experimental group and control group. The functions of affected upper extremities and activity of daily living in the experimental group were improved more than that of the control group, and depression was decreased more than that of the control group.

Among the data collected, there were statistically significant differences on grip power, shoulder pain, and edema in index finger between two groups. Also there were statistically significant differences on degrees of the wrist flexion, wrist extension, elbow flexion, shoulder flexion, and shoulder extension between the two groups.

The authors concluded that the acupressure was an effective intervention for improving the movement of the affected upper extremities, increasing activity of daily living and decreasing depression of hemiplegia stroke patients.

One year after the onset of the first stroke, 66% survivors suffer from physical handicap, and 75% survivors suffer from occupation disability. An average of 30% stroke patients suffer from depression. The routine rehabilitation for stroke patients includes exercises and physical therapies.

In this study, acupressure treatment was applied to the experimental group after general physical therapy for 10 minutes every day for two weeks. The following acupoints were used along the meridians on the hand, arm and shoulder.

1．合谷 HeGu/LI 4
2．后溪 HouXi/SI 3
3．阳谷 YangGu/SI 5
4．阳池 YangChi/TH 4
5. 阳溪 YangXi/LI 5
6. 大陵 DaLing/PC 7
7. 外关 WaiGuan/TH 5
8. 内关 NeiGuan/PC 6
9. 手三里 ShouSanLi/LI 10
10.曲池 QuChi/LI 11
11.肩臑 JianRu/LI 14
12.臑俞 RuYu/SI 9
13.肩禺 JianYu/LI 15
14.肩井 JianJing/GB 21


As the authors stated in the report, the applying of acupressure makes stroke rehabilitation more effective, and yet no associated side-effects, or drug dependence.

However, as the study emphasized on the term “meridians”, some important acupoints outside the meridians were not included in the study. For example, BaXie (eight acupoints located between Metacarpophalangeal joints of the 1st through 5th phalanges) are commonly used acupoints to relax the tightly flexed fingers due to stroke. These points were not included in the study. Including these acupoints in the future studies would improve the rehab effects of hand functions.

included in the study. Including these acupoints in the future studies would improve the rehab effects of hand functions.

Nevertheless, this research is a frontier study of acupressure in a conventional hospital setting. The findings of this study showed that acupressure can be applied as an alternative, economical and effective intervention that can be integrated into nursing practice for the rehabilitation of stroke patients.


_____________________
Authors: Hyun Sook Kang, PhD, RN, Professor, College of Nursing Science, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea; Sohyune R. Sok, PhD, RN, Assistant Professor, College of Nursing Science, Kyung Hee University, Hoegi-Gong, Dongdaemoon-Gu, Seoul, South Korea; Ji Soon Kang, RN, MA, A Graduate, College of Nursing Science, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea.

Source: ©2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd., Oxford, United Kingdom, Journal of Clinical Nursing