THE EFFECT OF ACUPRESSURE ON THE SP6 POINT ON FATIGUE IN THE PATIENTS WITH LUKEMIA HOSPITALIZED IN IMAM KHOMEINI HOSPITAL: A SINGLE-BLIND CLINICAL TRIAL

Background & Aim: Many patients with cancer suffer from fatigue, which may be related to their disease or treatment process. Fatigue aggravates the condition and increases the burden of the disease. Acupressure can be effective as a complementary method for patients' fatigue. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the effect of acupressure on the SP6 point on fatigue in the patients with leukemia hospitalized in Imam Khomeini Hospital in Urmia, Iran in 2022. Materials & Methods: This study was conducted on 102 patients with leukemia admitted to Imam Khomeini Hospital in Urmia, Iran. The samples were selected by convenience sampling method and randomly assigned into acupressure intervention (n=34) and control (n=34) groups. First, a pre-test was conducted using a demographic questionnaire and fatigue scale of the patients. In the acupressure group, using SP6 point, acupressure was performed for four weeks and every day (5 minutes), along with routine care for each participant. In the control group, no intervention was done, and the participants only received routine care. After the intervention, a post-test with the above instruments was conducted in both groups. To evaluate the obtained data, coded research units were used and the results were analyzed by statistical software SPSS version 25 and by chi-square, Fisher, t-test and paired t-tests. Results: The results showed that the implementation of acupressure was effective in the intervention groups, and reduced their fatigue (P<0.001). However, the independent t-test showed no significant difference between the two groups in the overall fatigue score and its dimensions before the intervention (P>0.05). Conclusion: The acupressure method is suggested as an inexpensive, easy, and non-complicated complementary method for managing fatigue in the patients with leukemia. This method reduces fatigue, leading to increased relaxation and improved quality of life in the patients with cancer.