title: A self-administered method of acute pressure block of sciatic nerves for short-term relief of dental pain: a randomized study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  While stimulation of the peripheral nerves increases the pain threshold, chronic pressure stimulation of the sciatic nerve is associated with sciatica. We recently found that acute pressure block of the sciatic nerve inhibits pain. Therefore, we propose that, the pain pathology-causing pressure is chronic, not acute. Here, we report a novel self-administered method: acute pressure block of the sciatic nerves is applied by the patients themselves for short-term relief of pain from dental diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a randomized, single-blind study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hospital patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients aged 16-60 years with acute pulpitis, acute apical periodontitis, or pericoronitis of the third molar of the mandible experiencing pain ≥3 on the 11-point numerical pain rating scale.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three-minute pressure to sciatic nerves was applied by using the hands (hand pressure method) or by having the patients squat to force the thigh and shin as tightly as possible on the sandwiched sciatic nerve bundles (self-administered method).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The primary efficacy variable was the mean difference in pain scores from the baseline.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred seventy-two dental patients were randomized. The self-administered method produced significant relief from pain associated with dental diseases (P ≤ 0.001). The analgesic effect of the self-administered method was similar to that of the hand pressure method.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The self-administered method is easy to learn and can be applied at any time for pain relief. We believe that patients will benefit from this method.
authors.affiliation: Pain Medicine Program, IDD, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Xiaolin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wanghong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Ye
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jiao
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Qiu
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Juncai
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Jiman
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000758:Anesthesia / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D059408:Pain Management / Q000379:methods*; D011312:Pressure; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000502:physiology*; D012648:Self Care; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D009057:Stomatognathic Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Complementary Therapies; Dental Diseases; Pain; Pressure; Sciatic Nerve; Self-Administered Method