Massage Therapy Journal Winter 2025

10 • Massage Therapy Journal

Acupressure + Labor Pain

Auricular Acupressure + Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain This 2025 systemic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials explored the effectiveness of auricular acupressure on chronic musculoskeletal pain. The study. Researchers performed a systematic search on six electronic databases from the databases inception to May 7, 2023, to identify relevant randomized controlled trials. Abstracts, full texts and data were assessed for risk of bias by two independent reviewers using the Risk of Bias 2 tool, and certainty of evidence was evaluated using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation. A random-effects model was used for meta analyses. Primary outcomes were pain intensity and disability, and secondary outcomes comprised pain pressure thresholds, pain catastrophizing level and fear avoidance beliefs. The results. Six studies with a total of 496 participants met inclusion criteria. All included studies compared the effectiveness of auricular acupressure with a sham control for management of chronic musculoskeletal pain. Researchers found moderate-quality evidence supporting a large effect size of auricular acupressure for enhancing post intervention pressure pain threshold, and low-quality evidence suggesting the effectiveness of auricular acupressure for reducing pain and disability. “Our systematic review revealed that auricular acupressure significantly improved pain, pressure pain thresholds and disability in individuals with various chronic musculoskeletal pain conditions immediately post treatment compared with sham treatment,” researchers noted. “Auricular acupressure has immediate post treatment benefits for chronic musculoskeletal pain, whereas its effects at the 1- or 6-month follow-up remain uncertain.” Researchers also noted more randomized controlled trials were needed at a longer follow up with more detailed protocols.

Researchers wanted to know what effect, if any, acupressure on the eighth point of the extra back meridian (EX-B8) would have on pain during childbirth for primiparous women (women giving birth for the first time). The study. This randomized, single-blind, sham-controlled study included a total of 90 primiparous women in the active phase of the first stage of labor who were randomly divided into three groups: acupressure, sham and a control. The acupressure groups received treatment for 20 minutes during their uterine contractions at three different points in labor: 4–5 centimeters dilated, 6–7 centimeters dilated and 8–10 centimeters dilated. The control group received standard labor care. A Numerical Rating Scale was used to assess pain before, and 10 and 20 minutes after the start of the intervention. The results. Researchers found that pain was significantly decreased in the EX-B8 acupressure group when compared with the sham and control groups at all three time intervals. In the EX-B8 group, the greatest amount of pain relief was achieved when patients were 8–10 centimeters dilated. “Acupressure on this point can be recommended as an effective, low-cost and accessible pain relieving technique, especially at the end of the active phase of the first stage of labor,” researchers concluded. “Further studies are needed to determine why acupressure on the point is more effective at the end of the active phase of labor.”

References 1. Azadeh H, Heshmat R, Nasiri M, Azarkish F, Mobarakabadi SS. “The effect of EX-B8 acupressure on labor pain: A randomized, single-blind, sham controlled trial.” Pain Res Manag. 2025 Feb 24:2025:7873155. 2. Kwok Wing Lee T, Chang JR, Hao D, Fu SN, Yu Lok Wong A. “The effectiveness of auricular acupressure on chronic musculoskeletal pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.” J Integr Complement Med. 2025 Jan;31(1):25–35.

WANT MORE INFORMATION? For more information on some of the research being done on the benefits of massage therapy, browse the Research section of AMTA’s website at amtamassage.org/research.

amtamassage.org/mtj