Acupressure on local and distal
acupuncture points might result in sedation and relaxation, thereby reducing chronic
neck pain. The aim was to investigate the effect of
acupressure at local (LP) and distal
acupuncture points (DP) in females with chronic
neck pain. Thirty-three females were assigned to three groups: the control group did not receive any stimuli, the LP group received
acupressure at local
acupuncture points, GB 21, SI 14 and SI 15, and the DP group received
acupressure at distal
acupuncture points, LI 4, LI 10 and LI 11. Verbal rating scale (VRS), Neck Disability Index (NDI), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), muscle hardness (MH),
salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) activity, heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV) values and satisfaction due to
acupressure were assessed. VRS, NDI, STAI and MH values decreased after
acupressure in the LP and the DP group. HR decreased and the power of high frequency (HF) component of HRV increased after
acupressure in only the LP group. Although
acupressure on not only the LP but also the DP significantly improved
pain conditions,
acupressure on only the LP affected the autonomic nervous system while
acupuncture points per se have different physical effects according to location.