The Effect of Acupressure on Fasting Blood Glucose and Glycosylated Hemoglobin Levels in Diabetic Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Diabetes is the most common endocrine disorder. Non-pharmacological methods can be used for treatment of these patients. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of acupressure point on fasting blood glucose and glycosylated levels of diabetic patients. Methods: This clinical trial was conducted on 102 patients who referred to Motahari Clinic of Shiraz during May-June in 2018. The participants were selected based on simple random sampling and divided into three groups via permuted block randomization. The control group only received the pharmacological treatments. The intervention group received acupressure at ST36 point in addition to medications. The placebo group also received medications and acupressure at a fake point. The intervention was carried out for six minutes (three minutes for each lower extremity), three sessions a week for 12 weeks. Fasting blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin levels were checked in all patients immediately after the intervention. The data were analyzed using Chi-square, paired t-test, and ANOVA by the SPSS statistical software, version 21, and P 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The results showed no significant differences among the three groups’ blood glucose mean levels before (P=0.89) and after the intervention (P=0.36). However, a significant difference was observed in the intervention group’s glycosylated hemoglobin mean levels before (8.61±1.96) and after the intervention (8.1±1.62) (P=0.02). Conclusion: In sum, the study indicated that acupressure could only be effective in reducing the glycosylated hemoglobin in the intervention group. Thus, further larger studies are recommended to evaluate the effectiveness of this technique.