Shu-Yu Kuo1, Su-Hua Tsai2, Shu-Ling Chen3, Ya-Ling Tzeng4. 1. School of Nursing, College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wuxing Street, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: sykuo@tmu.edu.tw. 2. School of Nursing, China Medical University, 91 Hsueh-Shih Road, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Nursing, China Medical University Hospital, 2 Yu-Der Road, Taichung, Taiwan. Electronic address: n3603@mail.cmuh.org.tw. 3. Department of Nursing, Hungkuang University, No. 1018, Sec. 6, Taiwan Boulevard, Shalu District, Taichung, Taiwan. Electronic address: slchen@hk.edu.tw. 4. School of Nursing, China Medical University, 91 Hsueh-Shih Road, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Nursing, China Medical University Hospital, 2 Yu-Der Road, Taichung, Taiwan. Electronic address: tyaling@mail.cmu.edu.tw.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:Anxiety and fatigue adversely affect women's postpartum recovery, but few effective non-pharmacological interventions are known to relieve these two common and unpleasant symptoms. OBJECTIVES: To examine the efficacy of an auricular acupressure intervention provided during early postpartum in reducing anxiety, fatigue levels, cortisol levels, blood pressure, and heart rate. DESIGN: A single-blind, randomised controlled trial. SETTING: A 40-bed postpartum unit. PARTICIPANTS: Women who underwent caesarean section were randomly allocated to two groups: intervention (auricular pressure, n=40), and control (usual care, n=40). METHODS: The intervention group received auricular acupressure on the shenmen acupoint twice a day (9 AM and 5 PM), and the control group received usual postpartum care. Serum cortisol levels were assessed by immunochemiluminescence, with blood pressure and heart rate assessed by electric sphygmomanometer. Anxiety and fatigue symptoms were assessed using the State Anxiety subscale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Fatigue Continuum Form, respectively. RESULTS: Of the 76 women who completed the study, those who received auricular acupressure had significantly lower mean cortisol levels (mean difference=4μg/dl, p<0.05), heart rate (mean difference=9.2 beats/min, p<0.001), anxiety symptoms (mean difference=3.8, p<0.01), and fatigue symptoms (mean difference=7.1, p<0.01) than women in the control group at 5 days postpartum. CONCLUSIONS:Auricular acupressure is an effective non-pharmacological method for reducing cortisol levels, heart rate, anxiety, and fatigue in early postpartum after caesarean section.
RCT Entities:
BACKGROUND:Anxiety and fatigue adversely affect women's postpartum recovery, but few effective non-pharmacological interventions are known to relieve these two common and unpleasant symptoms. OBJECTIVES: To examine the efficacy of an auricular acupressure intervention provided during early postpartum in reducing anxiety, fatigue levels, cortisol levels, blood pressure, and heart rate. DESIGN: A single-blind, randomised controlled trial. SETTING: A 40-bed postpartum unit. PARTICIPANTS: Women who underwent caesarean section were randomly allocated to two groups: intervention (auricular pressure, n=40), and control (usual care, n=40). METHODS: The intervention group received auricular acupressure on the shenmen acupoint twice a day (9 AM and 5 PM), and the control group received usual postpartum care. Serum cortisol levels were assessed by immunochemiluminescence, with blood pressure and heart rate assessed by electric sphygmomanometer. Anxiety and fatigue symptoms were assessed using the State Anxiety subscale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Fatigue Continuum Form, respectively. RESULTS: Of the 76 women who completed the study, those who received auricular acupressure had significantly lower mean cortisol levels (mean difference=4μg/dl, p<0.05), heart rate (mean difference=9.2 beats/min, p<0.001), anxiety symptoms (mean difference=3.8, p<0.01), and fatigue symptoms (mean difference=7.1, p<0.01) than women in the control group at 5 days postpartum. CONCLUSIONS: Auricular acupressure is an effective non-pharmacological method for reducing cortisol levels, heart rate, anxiety, and fatigue in early postpartum after caesarean section.