Acupressure treatment of morning sickness in pregnancy. A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
OBJECTIVE
To find out whether acupressure wristband can alleviate nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy.


METHODS
Double-blind, placebo-controlled study.


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


METHODS
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.
Norheim
A J
AJ
Havnegata General Practice, Harstad, Norway.
Pedersen
E J
EJ
Fønnebø
V
V
Berge
L
L
D019050:Acupressure / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D000328:Adult; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000379:methods; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009325:Nausea / Q000628:therapy*; D009664:Norway; D010919:Placebos; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000628:therapy*; D012647:Self-Assessment; D014505:Urban Population; D014953:Wrist / Q000502:physiology
D010919:Placebos