Stimulation Acupuncture points can be stimulated by various methods, including invasive and non-invasive stimulation. The Sea Band ® (Sea-Band Ltd., Leicestershire, England) is one of the most common forms of P6 stimulation because it is noninvasive and easy to apply. The band includes a plastic button or beads that can be placed on the P6 to apply pressure which is then defined as acupressure. Acupressure can also be used by pressing acupuncture points with one´s fingers. In recent studies, Relief- Band ® (Woodside Biomedical Inc., Abbott Park, IL, Maven Laboratories, and Citrus Heights, CA) was used. It is a wristwatch and includes a device that applies surface electrical current at acupuncture point. Transcutaneous electrical stimulation …show more content…
Nordio and Romanelli (2008) reported that acupressure band at HT 7 for 10 hours, daily for 20 days improved sleep and normal melatonin rhythm compared to the control group in 33 patients (p < .05 and p= .01 respectively). Harris and colleagues (2005) investigated the effect of 2 sequences of acupressure treatment (cross-over design) to support relaxation or stimulation administered daily for 3 days. These investigators found that acupressure at LI 4, ST 36 KD 1, and UB 10 decreased fatigue and improved alertness compared to the period of relaxation acupressure in 39 healthy university students. Molassiotis and colleagues (2007) reported that acupressure for 3 minutes daily for 2 weeks improved fatigue compared to the control group (p< 0.05). However, there was no statistical difference between acupressure treatment and placebo (acupressure at nonacupressure points) groups. Because fatigue and poor sleep is often accompanied by depressive symptoms, Tsay (2004) reported that the application of 12-minutes of acupressure at SP 6, GB 34, ST 36, and KD 1 three times a week for four weeks reduced fatigue and depression, and improved sleep quality in patients with ESRD (n = 106) when compared to a control group (p <