A study has shown that acupressure coupled with one of many available therapeutic body massage services can support hemodialysis by easing the patients’ fatigue and depression. Massage therapists skilled in acupressure can, therefore, do much to assist patients with end stage renal disease
in Charlotte NC.
Yi-Ching Cho, R.N. and Shiow-Luan Tsay, R.N., Ph.D., conducted the study titled “The Effect of Acupressure with Massage on Fatigue and Depression in Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease.” Both were members of the staff of the Department of Nursing at the National Tainan Institute of Nursing in Tainan, Taiwan and the National Taipei College of Nursing Graduate Institute in Taipei, Taiwan, Their paper was subsequently published in pages 51-58 of the Journal of Nursing Research, 2004, Vol. 12, No. 1.
The study was participated in by 62 patients who had end stage renal disease and were then undergoing hemodialysis. The participants were assigned randomly to one of two groups. Participants in the experimental group were given acupressure and massage. Participants in the control group, on the other hand, were given standard care for their condition. The treatment period lasted for four weeks.
Participants in the experimental group were given 12 minutes of acupressure and three minutes of massage on their legs for three days each week. The acupressure sessions focused on the Zusanli, Sanyinjiao, Taixi and Yungchuan acupressure points because these corresponded to the easing of fatigue and depression. The acupressure therapists used the pads of their fingers to rub and press on the points. Pressure equivalent to three to five kilograms was applied for five seconds and was followed by a one second release at the end. This was repeated for each point for a total of three minutes. Afterwards, the participants received three minutes of leg massage therapy.
Participants were assessed at the beginning of the study and at the end of the treatment period of four weeks. The Piper Fatigue Scale was used by the researchers in measuring fatigue while the Chinese counterpart of Beck’s Depression Inventory was used in measuring depression.
The findings of the study showed a significant lowering of the experimental group participants’ perceived fatigue when their scores at the start of the study were compared to their scores at the end of the study. On the other hand, participants in the control group showed no significant difference between their perceived fatigue scores at the start of the study as compared to their scores at the end of the study.
The participants from the experimental group likewise showed a significant improvement when their depression scores at the start of the study were compared to their scores at the end of the study. Once again, participants in the control group showed no significant difference between their depression scores at the start of the study as compared to their scores at the end of the study.
The researchers of the study therefore concluded acupressure accompanied by massage therapy are effective in easing fatigue and depression in patients with end stage renal disease who are undergoing hemodialysis. They recommend the integration of these treatments in the care for such patients. According to Yi-Ching Cho, R.N. and Shiow-Luan Tsay, R.N., Ph.D., “Assessment of end-stage renal disease patients’ fatigue and depression should be an essential part of nursing practice, and clinicians may consider providing acupressure therapy as a method for improving dialysis patients’ fatigue.”
Professional massage therapists can offer not just acupressure but also other beneficial therapeutic body massage services, as well. Among these are reflexology massage, foot massage, back massage, deep tissue massage, sports massage and Swedish massage. There are also massage gift cards for all these therapeutic body massage services from reputable therapeutic massage clinics in Charlotte NC.
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