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Effect of Acupressure on Dynamic Balance in Elderly Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Seyedeh Ameneh Motalebi1, Zeinab Zajkani2, Fatemeh Mohammadi1
1Social Determinants of Health Research Center (SDH), Research Institute for Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences , Qazvin, Iran.
Background:
Balance disorders are common in the elderly and are a major cause of falls. This study aimed to determine the effect of acupressure on dynamic balance in elderly women.
Methods:
This randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted on 72 elderly women in Qazvin, Iran. The intervention group received rotary massage using the thumb at the pressure points for 4 weeks, 3 times a week for 20 minutes each session. Dynamic balance in both groups was measured before, 2 and 4 weeks after the intervention using timed up and go test and the step test. Data were analyzed using two way repeated measures ANOVA.
Results:
The mean age of participants was 67.34 ± 6.30 with a range of 60 to 80 years old. The results showed statistically significant improvement in the dynamic balance quantified by timed up and go test (%Δ = 26.53) and step test for the right (%Δ = 35.22) and left (Δ% = 32.62) legs (p < .001). However, in the control group, no significant change was observed in the dynamic balance after completion of the program.
Conclusion:
The results support that acupressure therapy can be an effective, safe, and inexpensive method to improve the dynamic balance and maintain maximum autonomy of the elderly.
