title: Comparison of the Effect of Dry Cupping Therapy and Acupressure at BL23 Point on Intensity of Postpartum Perineal Pain Based on the Short Form of McGill Pain Questionnaire.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Perineal pain is a major morbidity in the first few days after delivery. This study aimed to investigate the effect of dry cupping therapy and acupressure at BL23 point on the intensity of postpartum perineal pain based on the short-form of McGill pain questionnaire (SMPQ).
  
  
  METHODS
  The present clinical trial was conducted on 150 subjects in 3 groups of 50 cases. After at least 4-8 hr of delivery, cupping therapy was performed for 15-20 min up to 3 times a week (once a day) and acupressure was performed for 15-20 min based on clockwise model. The short-form of McGill pain questionnaire was completed both before and after the intervention. The SPSS statistical software was used to analyze the data using repeated measures ANOVA. Besides, p<0.05 was considered statistically significant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the cupping therapy group, mean of the perineal pain intensity reduced from 37.5±6.8 before the intervention to 11.1±6.1, 6.9±4.7, and 3.8±3.6 immediately, 24 hr, and 2 weeks after the intervention, respectively. The results of study showed that the differences between the intervention and control groups were statistically significant (p<0.01). Mean difference of the perineal pain intensity in the acupressure group reached from 35.6±8.1 before the intervention to 10.4±5.5 two weeks after the intervention, so the variation between intervention and control groups was statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study findings showed that cupping therapy and acupressure reduced perineal pain. Therefore, they may be considered as effective treatments for reducing pain intensity of allowing delivery.
authors.affiliation: Maternal-Fetal Medicine Research Center, Department of Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Marzieh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akbarzade
authors.affiliation: Departments of Midwifery, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Mehrnoush
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ghaemmaghami
authors.affiliation: Maternal-Fetal Medicine Research Center, Department of Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yazdanpanahi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, Infertility Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Najaf
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zare
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Abdolali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mohagheghzadeh
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Azizi
keywords: Acupressure; BL23 point; Dry cupping; Perineal pain; Postpartum