Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 11, 2026

Software for Analysis of Heart Rate and Blood Pressure Time-series Data from the Valsalva Maneuver
Published on: June 27, 2025
The effects of Valsalva manoeuvres on venepuncture pain
G Basaranoglu1, M Basaranoglu, V Erden
1Vakif Gureba Hospital, Department of Anaesthesiology, Istanbul, and Selcuk University School of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Konya, Turkey. gbasaranoglu@hotmail.com
Background And Objective:
Stimulating the vagus nerve reduces pain. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a Valsalva manoeuvre, which stimulates the vagus nerve, on perception of pain during peripheral venous cannulation in adult patients.
Methods:
This was a prospective randomized clinical trial. One hundred and ten patients scheduled for elective surgery were randomly divided into two groups. Half of the patients, Group A, underwent venepuncture during a Valsalva manoeuvre and the other half of the patients, Group B, underwent venepuncture without performing a Valsalva manoeuvre. Patients made a pain assessment using a 0-10 point numerical rating scale.
Results:
The numerical rating scale score was 1.5+/-1.2 for Group A and 3.1+/-1.9 for Group B, the difference being statistically significant (P<0.0001).
Conclusions:
On the basis of data from this study, the Valsalva manoeuvre may be of the value before venous cannulation as a simple and practical method to reduce pain from venous cannulation.
Related Concept Videos
Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Intravenous Regional Anesthesia
One of the advantages of...
Sites for measuring blood pressure
The Brachial Artery: Primary Site for Blood Pressure Measurement
Pre-Procedural Guidelines for Assessing Blood Pressure
Assessment of blood pressure in brachial artery(two-step method)
Venous Return
What is Venous Return?
Venous return refers to the rate at which blood flows back to the heart from the body's peripheral veins. It's an integral part of the circulatory system as it...
Measurement of Blood Pressure

