A study published in Applied Nursing Science details how acupressure may help nurses who experience chronic back pain.

Nurses face extreme working environments on a daily basis, frequently working 12-hours shifts. These extreme conditions can ultimately lead to negative effects—including chronic back pain—on the nurses’ quality of life (QOL).

The study examined 50 nurses from Isfahan, Iran, who were split into an experimental group (N = 25) and a control group (N = 25). Nurses in the experimental group were enrolled in nine (three times a week) 14-minute acupressure sessions. The results revealed that although there was no immediate difference in the QOL between participants from each group, there was a significant increase in the experimental groups’ QOL 2 weeks and 1 month postintervention.

Ultimately, this study indicates that acupressure may be a “drug-free and low-cost approach” nurses may want to consider to treat chronic back pain.

Read more about this study here.

Source:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0897189718307043