Acupressure treatment of morning sickness in pregnancy. A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To find out whether acupressure wristband can alleviate nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy.

DESIGN:

Double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

SUBJECTS:

97 women with mean gestational length completed 8-12 weeks.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:

Symptoms were recorded according to intensity, duration and nature of complaints.

RESULTS:

71% of women in the intervention group reported both less intensive morning sickness and reduced duration of symptoms. The same tendency was seen in the placebo group, with 59% reporting less intensity and 63% shorter duration of symptoms. However, a significance level of 5% was reached only in the case of duration of symptoms, which was reduced by 2.74 hours in the intervention group compared to 0.85 hours in the placebo group (p = 0.018).

CONCLUSIONS:

Acupressure wristband might be an alternative therapy for morning sickness in early pregnancy, especially before pharmaceutical treatment is considered.

• Authors: A J Norheim, E J Pedersen, V Fønnebø, L Berge
• Journal: Scandinavian journal of primary health care (Scand J Prim Health Care) Vol. 19 Issue 1 Pg. 43-7 (Mar 2001) ISSN: 0281-3432 [Print] United States
• PMID: 11303547 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Comparative Study, Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Placebos

Topics

• Acupressure (instrumentation, methods)
• Adult
• Ambulatory Care (methods)
• Double-Blind Method
• Female
• Humans
• Nausea (therapy)
• Norway
• Placebos
• Pregnancy
• Pregnancy Complications (therapy)
• Self-Assessment
• Urban Population
• Wrist (physiology)