Association of Acupressure at Sanyinjiao Point 6 with C-Reactive Protein, Interleukin 6, Prostaglandin F2 , and Vasopressin in Medical College Students with Primary Dysmenorrhea
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51985/Keywords:
Acupressure, C-Reactive Protein, Interleukin 6, Dysmenorrhea, Prostaglandins F, VasopressinsAbstract
Objective: To observe the changes in biochemical markers after applying acupressure in Primary Dysmenorrhea (PD) at Sanyinjiao Point 6 (SP6) and ascertain whether pain relief is biochemically mediated.
Study design and setting: A quasi-experimental design was adopted. The study was carried out from September 2022 to April 2023, in Karachi, Pakistan, at a private medical college.
Methodology: After ethical approval (BMU-EC/04-2022), 50 participants were selected using a modified menstrual symptom questionnaire, who were healthy, experienced regular PD, and abstained from analgesics. Written informed consent was taken, then in the first month of the study, blood samples (pre-intervention) were taken on day one of the menstrual cycle (MC). In the following three MCs, acupressure was self-applied at acupoint SP6, taught by a qualified acupressurist. During dysmenorrhea, it was applied on both legs, three times/day, for two to five minutes. In the third month of acupressure, second (post-intervention) blood samples were taken. Plasma levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), Interleukin- 6 (IL-6), Prostaglandin F2 (PGF2 ), and Vasopressin (VP) were measured and compared with pre-intervention samples using Statistical Package for Social Sciences 23 (SPSS 23).
Results: Median with interquartile ranges (IQR) of PGF2 , IL-6, VP, and CRP were obtained and compared, reporting a statistically significant increase in the post-intervention plasma CRP level (p=0.03), whereas plasma levels of PGF2 , IL- 6, and VP showed no significant change (p=0.60, p=0.84, p=0.19, respectively).
Conclusions: Except CRP, the biochemical markers showed no significant change; hence, acupressure mediates its pain relief through additional mechanisms.
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