Evidence map›Paper›PMID 21531533›Full record

SynthesisJournal of pain and symptom management2011

The efficacy of acupressure for symptom management: a systematic review.

Eun Jin Lee, Susan K Frazier

3 registry-linked trialsOpen access · bronzeAbstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of pain and symptom management, 2011. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 3 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 48 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
48citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
27.1field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT02491216 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2015, after this paper: background citation

A Study on Effects of Acupressure Among the Frail Elderly in Homes for the Aged and Care and Attention Homes for the Elderly

TypeinterventionalSponsorThe University of Hong KongRan2015 to 2016Enrolled65ConditionsImpairedArmsAcupressure
NCT03823456 naunknown statusnot on this mapstarted 2018, after this paper: background citation

Self-acupressure for Cancer-related Symptom Cluster of Insomnia, Depression, and Anxiety in Cancer Patients: a Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorThe Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityRan2018 to 2019Enrolled114ConditionsInsomnia, Anxiety, DepressionArmsSelf-acupressure, Sham Self-acupressure
NCT05506397 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2021, after this paper: background citation

The Effect of Acupressure on Constıpatıon Symptoms and Quality of Lıfe in Elderly People

TypeinterventionalSponsorTC Erciyes UniversityRan2021 to 2021Enrolled81ConditionsConstıpatıonArmsAcupressure
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

48 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 203 citations in OpenAlex.

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  4. Nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy.BMJ clinical evidence · 2014
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  6. Acupressure versus NSAID for relief of orthodontic pain : A randomized controlled clinical trial.Journal of orofacial orthopedics = Fortschritte der Kieferorthopadie : Organ/official journal Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Kieferorthopadie · 2025
    Trial
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Eun Jin LeeCentral Baptist Hospital, Lexington, Kentucky, USA. peace-peace@hanmail.net
Susan K Frazier
Central Baptist Hospital · US

Funding

Self-Management Pilot/Feasibility and Biobehavioral Outcomes CoreP20NR010679 · NINR · UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY · PI HALL, LYNNE ANDERSON · 2007 to 2011
$1.2M
NINR NIH HHS 1P20NR010679NINR NIH HHS P20 NR010679
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

contextAcupressure is a noninvasive strategy used to manage various symptoms.

objectivesThe purpose of this article was to review randomized controlled trials that investigated the efficacy of acupressure for the management of symptoms.

methodsA literature search was conducted in the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Medline, and PubMed using the key words acupressure, clinical trial, human, and/or randomized. Randomized clinical trials published between January 1, 2000 and January 31, 2010, which used acupressure as the sole intervention for one group, were included when they were written in English and when there were four or more studies of the efficacy of acupressure for that particular symptom.

resultsForty-three studies were included in this review. Investigators in 16 of 23 studies concluded acupressure was effective, primarily for the management of nausea and vomiting in patients during pregnancy and during chemotherapy. Investigators in nine of 10 studies concluded that acupressure was effective for pain in patients with dysmenorrhea, during labor and after trauma. Investigators of four studies concluded that acupressure was effective in the management of dyspnea and investigators in six studies concluded that acupressure was effective in improving fatigue and reducing insomnia in a variety of populations. However, evaluation of the randomized controlled trial reports indicated a significant likelihood of bias.

conclusionAcupressure may be a useful strategy for the management of multiple symptoms in a variety of patient populations, but rigorous trials are needed. Inclusion of acupressure as an intervention may improve patient outcomes.

Indexed as

AcupressureDysmenorrheaFatigueFemaleHumansMaleNauseaVomiting

Identifiers

PMID21531533
PMCPMC3154967
OpenAlexW2024506922

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.