Effect of manual acupressure (points SP6, SP10, ST36, and LI11) on the uremic pruritus and quality of life in hemodialysis patients: A parallel, randomized controlled trial

The present study was conducted to determine the effect of manual acupressure on uremic pruritus and quality of life (QoL) in patients undergoing hemodialysis. This randomized controlled trial was conducted with a pre-post design on 90 patients with hemodialysis in southern Iran. The patients were divided into three groups using block randomization: intervention, sham control, and passive control. The intervention group received acupressure on SP6, SP10, ST36, and LI11 points. In the sham group, pressure was exerted on sham points two Cuns away from the actual points, and the passive control group solely received routine treatment. The intervention was carried out three times a week for four weeks. The patient's QoL was evaluated before and after the intervention using the Itchy QoL scale, and the dimensions of itching were assessed before the intervention and two and five weeks after commencing the intervention using the 5-D Pruritus scale. The groups' QoL and itching parameters were the same before the intervention. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed significant differences among the groups in terms of QoL following intervention. This index improved significantly in the intervention group compared to the other groups (P<0.001, G1=107.20 (standard deviation [SD]=5.45)). Repeated measures ANOVA showed that acupressure significantly reduced the severity and duration of itching and the number of itching points in the intervention group. Acupressure can improve hemodialysis patients' QoL and itching sensations. Being a non-pharmaceutical, risk-free, and inexpensive method, this intervention could be recommended to be used for relieving uremic pruritus.