Comparative Effectiveness of Ear and Body Acupressure for Postoperative Pain in Elderly Women Following Knee Arthroplasty: A Randomized Trial

<b><i>Background:</i></b> Knee arthroplasty or knee joint replacement is a common treatment method used to relieve pain caused by knee arthritis among the elderly. Postoperative pain control is a challenge in knee arthroplasty. Despite existing evidence supporting the effectiveness of acupressure for pain management, limited research has directly compared the efficacy of body and auricular acupressure in reducing pain following knee arthroplasty. To address this knowledge gap, the present study aims to compare the effectiveness of these two acupressure techniques in alleviating pain severity among elderly individuals undergoing knee replacement surgery. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> This three-group randomized clinical trial study was conducted on 141 elderly women undergoing knee arthroplasty surgery at Shafa Yahiaeian Hospital in Tehran in 2023. Patients were randomly assigned to three groups of 47. The patients of the body acupressure and auricular acupressure groups received intervention for 15 min, thrice a day at an interval of 4 h, for 3 days. Control group patients received only routine interventions. Visual analog scale (VAS) and McGill's Abbreviated Mental Test Scale were completed before the first intervention on the first day and immediately after the last intervention on the first, second, and third days. <b><i>Results:</i></b> The results revealed that the pain severity assessed using VAS and McGill's Abbreviated Mental Test Scale during all 3 days in the body and auricular acupressure groups had a more decreasing trend compared with the control group. Moreover, auricular acupressure was more effective than body acupressure in pain control. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Body acupressure and auricular acupressure as complementary interventions have significant potential in reducing pain after knee arthroplasty in the elderly female population. These methods offer an interesting treatment option by reducing the need for analgesics and thus reducing the side effects of these drugs. However, auricular acupressure may have faster relief effects compared with body acupressure.