Comparing the Effects of Acupressure and Clonazepam Tablets on Sleep Quality of Hemodialysis Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Mansooreh Ezzati; Masoumeh  Bagheri-Nesami; Javad Setareh; Mahmood Moosazadeh; Fatemeh Espahbodi; Nadali Esmaeili Ahangarkelai

doi:10.18502/ijps.v18i4.13632

Mansooreh Ezzati Student Research Committee, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
Masoumeh Bagheri-Nesami Traditional and Complementary Medicine Research Center, Addiction Institute, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
Javad Setareh Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Addiction Institute, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
Mahmood Moosazadeh Gastrointestinal Cancer Research Center, Non-communicable Diseases Institute, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
Fatemeh Espahbodi Department of Nephrology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
Nadali Esmaeili Ahangarkelai World Federation of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Societies (WFAS), Beijing, China.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijps.v18i4.13632

Keywords: Acupressure; Clonazepam; Hemodialysis; Renal Dialysis; Sleep Quality

Abstract

Objective: The current study aimed to compare the impact of acupressure and clonazepam tablets on the quality of sleep in hemodialysis patients in light of the rising prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD), the high prevalence of sleep disturbance in these patients, and the side effects of hypnotic drugs.

Method: A total of 60 patients were selected for this randomized, controlled clinical trial and randomly assigned to two groups. For two weeks during the researcher's evening shift, one group received acupressure (six spots bilaterally for three minutes each day). The opposing group was administered clonazepam tablets (0.5 mg) for two weeks. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), which measures sleep quality, was used to compare sleep in the two groups before and after the intervention.

Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups prior to the intervention (P = 0.75) in terms of the mean pre-intervention PSQI scores for the acupressure and clonazepam groups, which were 15.83 ± 1.51 and 16.17 ± 0.91, respectively. However, the average PSQI scores after the intervention in the clonazepam and acupressure groups were 13.25 ± 2.88 and 8.97 ± 4.29, respectively, indicating a statistically significant difference (P < 0.0001). Both the acupressure and the clonazepam groups showed improvements in their post-intervention sleep quality among the patients. However, when the percentage changed in the mean scores of the total score and all of the PSQI components were calculated for each group, it became clear that acupressure was more effective at enhancing sleep than clonazepam tablets.

Conclusion: The findings of the present investigation demonstrate that acupressure has a greater impact on patients’ sleep quality compared to clonazepam tablets. Depending on the circumstances, acupressure can be used as a simple, safe, and non-drug way to enhance hemodialysis patients' quality of sleep.