PainNCT05898880
The Effect of Acupressure on Pain, Nausea-Vomiting, and Mental Well-Being in Oncology Patients
A study testing Self-acupressure and Acupressure by therapists in people with Pain and Nausea With Vomiting Chemotherapy-Induced, run by Mersin University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
Trial summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to compare the effect of self acupressure and acupressure applied by therapists on pain, nausea-vomiting, and mental well-being in oncology patients. For this purpose, 96 individuals with stage 1-stage 3 cancer will be included in the study. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Pain, Nausea With Vomiting Chemotherapy-Induced, Mental Health Wellness 1
- What is being tested?
- Self-acupressure and Acupressure by therapists
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 96 participants
- Where
- 1 siteTurkey (Türkiye)
- Study dates
- 5 Jun 2023to 30 Sep 2023
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- ≥18 years
- Cancer patients without distant metastases in stage-1, stage-2 and stage-3 who have received at least one course of chemotherapy
- Pain degree 4 and above (will be evaluated with a visual analog scale)
- Nausea-vomiting degree of 4 and above (will be evaluated with a visual analog scale)
- Receiving standard antiemetic and standard analgesic treatment (All patients included in the study should receive similar treatment.)
- No previous acupressure experience
Show all 10Show fewer
- Absence of any wound or lesion in the area where acupressure will be applied.
- Not using a different complementary approach during the collection of research data
- Those who signed the Informed Consent Form/Written Consent Form
- Patients without any psychiatric diagnosis will be included in the study.
Who cannot join
- < 18 years old
- Those who have not received chemotherapy before
- Pain grade below 4 (will be evaluated with a visual analog scale)
- Nausea-vomiting degree below 4 (will be evaluated with a visual analog scale)
- Receiving different antiemetic and analgesic treatments
- Previous acupressure experience
Show all 10Show fewer
- Any wound or lesion in the area where acupressure will be applied
- Using a complementary approach other than acupressure at the time research data was collected
- Those who did not sign the Informed Consent Form/Written Consent Form
- Patients with any psychiatric diagnosis will not be included in the study.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
Turkey (Türkiye)1 site
Mersin University Faculty of Nursing
Mersin, Yenişehir
About this study
Official title: The Effect of Self-Administered Acupressure and Acupressure Applied by Therapist on Pain, Nausea-Vomiting, and Mental Well-Being in Oncology Patients: A Three-Arm Randomized Controlled Study
The goal of this clinical trial is to compare the effect of self acupressure and acupressure applied by therapists on pain, nausea-vomiting, and mental well-being in oncology patients.
For this purpose, 96 individuals with stage 1-stage 3 cancer will be included in the study.
Read more
The main questions it aims to answer are:
- Is acupressure effective on pain, nausea-vomiting and mental well-being in oncology patients? Is there a difference in the effectiveness of self-acupressure and acupressure applied by therapist on pain, nausea-vomiting and mental well-being? The participants will be included in the study as three groups, namely the self-acupressure group, the acupressure group applied by the therapist, and the control group.
Self-acupressure participants will self-administer acupressure. In the acupressure group, which will be applied by the therapist, acupressure will be applied to the participants by researchers who have acupressure certificate.
In the control group, acupressure etc. No additional application will be made. Visual analog scale, nausea-vomiting and retching index, and mental well-being scales will be applied to all groups at the beginning of the study and three days after the study.
Read the detailed description
Large Intestine Meridian 4th point (Hegu/LI4), Pericardium Meridian/Neiguan (P6) point and Yintang (EX-HN 3) point will be used for acupressure application in the research.
- Being tested
- Self-acupressure, Acupressure by therapists, Control group
- Keywords
- Chemotherapy, Pain, Nausea-vomiting, Mental Well-Being, Acupressure
- Medical subject headings
- Pain, Psychological Well-Being
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Self-acupressureOther
In the self-acupressure group, before the application, the tissue sensitivity will be reduced by heating and rubbing for 20 seconds without direct pressure on the acupressure points, and the points will be made ready for acupressure application. Afterwards, sequential (breathing rhythm) compressions will be applied to the determined acupressure points by the researcher for a total of two minutes for each point without raising the finger, taking into account the pain threshold of the individual who is applied with the thumb, with 10 seconds of pressure for two seconds of relief. Two of the three different points (LI4 and P6) selected for the application will be applied symmetrically on the other extremity. Therefore, the session duration of each patient will be approximately 12 minutes, depending on the preparation and compression time on each point. Afterwards, acupressure will be applied to themselves by participants
Acupressure by therapistsOther
In the acupressure group applied by therapist, before the application, the tissue sensitivity will be reduced by heating and rubbing for about 20 seconds without direct pressure on the acupressure points, and the points will be ready for acupressure application. Afterwards, sequential (breathing rhythm) compressions will be applied to the determined acupressure points by the researcher for a total of two minutes for each point without raising the finger, taking into account the pain threshold of the individual who is applied with the thumb, with 10 seconds of pressure for two seconds of relief. Two of the three different points (LI4 and P6) selected for the application will be applied symmetrically on the other extremity. Therefore, the session duration of each patient will be approximately 12 minutes, depending on the preparation and compression time on each point.
Control groupOther
No intervention will be made in the control group.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Self acupressure group | Experimental | The first acupressure application will be administered and taught individually by the researcher to the oncology patients in the self-administered group. Afterwards, each patient who learns the application will be asked to apply acupressure on his own for three days. In the self-acupressure group, a questionnaire form consisting of a personal information form, visual analog scale, nausea, vomiting and retching index and mental well-being scale will be applied first (pre-test) before the acupressure application is taught to the group by the researchers. Afterwards, patients will apply acupressure on their own for three days, and at the end of this period (post-test), a questionnaire consisting of personal information form, visual analog scale, nausea, vomiting and retching index and mental well-being scale will be applied. Acupressure will be applied the large intestine meridian 4th Point (LI4), the pericardium meridian Neiguan (P6) and Yintang (EX-HN3). Receives: Other: Self-acupressure |
| Acupressure by therapist | Other | In this group, acupressure will be administered to stage I, stage II, and stage III cancer patients receiving at least one course of chemotherapy for a total of three days by researchers with acupressure certification. Before the application (pre-test) by the therapist, a questionnaire consisting of a personal information form, visual analog scale, nausea, vomiting and retching index and mental well-being scale will be applied to the patients in the group in question. At the end of the three-day acupressure application (post-test) applied to the patients included in the study by the therapist, a questionnaire consisting of a personal information form, visual analog scale, nausea, vomiting and retching index and mental well-being scale will be applied. In the acupressure group applied by the therapist, a total of three points will be applied to the upper extremity: the 4th point of the large intestine meridian (LI4), the Pericardium Meridian/Neiguan (P6), Yintang (EX-HN3) point. Receives: Other: Acupressure by therapists |
| Control group | Other | The control group will receive the routine treatment applied in the hospital, and acupressure will not be applied to this group. Receives: Other: Control group |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Pain intensity will be evaluated with a visual analog scale.
The patient evaluates their own pain using a scale ranging from 1 to 10, with 1 = very mild discomfort and 10 = the most severe pain the patient can imagine. Ranges for pain intensity; <3 mild pain, 3-6 moderate pain, >6 severe pain.
Measured: Change from baseline pain level at 3 days
Nausea-vomiting severity will be evaluated with the Rhodes Nausea-Vomiting and Retching Index.
Each response is scored as 0 = least distress, 4 = most distress. The patient's experience of nausea and vomiting in each of the 8 items is summed up. The highest possible value is 32, indicating the most severe symptom occurrence score.
Measured: Change from baseline nausea-vomiting level at 3 days
Mental well-being will be evaluated using the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale.
The scale is in the 5-point Likert type and a minimum of 14 and a maximum of 70 points are obtained from the scale. Scoring of the scale is (1 = strongly disagree, 2 = disagree, 3 = somewhat agree, 4 = agree, 5 = completely agree).
Measured: Change from baseline mental well-being level at 3 days
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted12 Jun 2023
- Study start5 Jun 2023
- Primary completion5 Jun 2023
- Study completion30 Sep 2023
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for PainStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Mersin UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- This is a prospective, three-armed (1:1:1), randomized controlled experimental single-blind clinical trial.
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Investigator
- Enrolment
- 96 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Mersin University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Esra Cavusoglu, Mersin University
- Investigators
- Esra Çavuşoğlu, Doctorate, Study director, Mersin UniversityHilal Altundal Duru, Doctorate, Principal investigator, Çankırı Karatekin UniversityKadir Eser, Principal investigator, Mersin UniversityEmel Sezer, Principal investigator, Mersin UniversityVehbi Erçolak, Principal investigator, Mersin UniversityÜmmügülsüm Kılıç, Principal investigator, Mersin University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05898880
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- mERSİNuU.
- Status last verified
- Sep 2026
- First submitted
- 22 May 2023
- Last updated
- 2 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 2 Oct 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Effect of Self-Administered Acupressure and Acupressure Applied by Therapist on Pain, Nausea-Vomiting, and Mental Well-Being in Oncology Patients: A Three-Arm Randomized Controlled Study
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05898880
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- mERSİNuU.
- Keywords
- Chemotherapy, Pain, Nausea-vomiting, Mental Well-Being, Acupressure
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 96 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Mersin UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 5 Jun 2023 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 5 Jun 2023 (actual)
- Study completion
- 30 Sep 2023 (actual)
- First posted
- 12 Jun 2023 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The goal of this clinical trial is to compare the effect of self acupressure and acupressure applied by therapists on pain, nausea-vomiting, and mental well-being in oncology patients.
For this purpose, 96 individuals with stage 1-stage 3 cancer will be included in the study.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
- Is acupressure effective on pain, nausea-vomiting and mental well-being in oncology patients? Is there a difference in the effectiveness of self-acupressure and acupressure applied by therapist on pain, nausea-vomiting and mental well-being? The participants will be included in the study as three groups, namely the self-acupressure group, the acupressure group applied by the therapist, and the control group.
Self-acupressure participants will self-administer acupressure. In the acupressure group, which will be applied by the therapist, acupressure will be applied to the participants by researchers who have acupressure certificate.
In the control group, acupressure etc. No additional application will be made. Visual analog scale, nausea-vomiting and retching index, and mental well-being scales will be applied to all groups at the beginning of the study and three days after the study.
Detailed description
Large Intestine Meridian 4th point (Hegu/LI4), Pericardium Meridian/Neiguan (P6) point and Yintang (EX-HN 3) point will be used for acupressure application in the research.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (investigator)
- Number of arms
- 3
- Model description
- This is a prospective, three-armed (1:1:1), randomized controlled experimental single-blind clinical trial.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Self acupressure group | Experimental | Other: Self-acupressureThe first acupressure application will be administered and taught individually by the researcher to the oncology patients in the self-administered group. Afterwards, each patient who learns the application will be asked to apply acupressure on his own for three days. In the self-acupressure group, a questionnaire form consisting of a personal information form, visual analog scale, nausea, vomiting and retching index and mental well-being scale will be applied first (pre-test) before the acupressure application is taught to the group by the researchers. Afterwards, patients will apply acupressure on their own for three days, and at the end of this period (post-test), a questionnaire consisting of personal information form, visual analog scale, nausea, vomiting and retching index and mental well-being scale will be applied. Acupressure will be applied the large intestine meridian 4th Point (LI4), the pericardium meridian Neiguan (P6) and Yintang (EX-HN3). |
| Acupressure by therapist | Other | Other: Acupressure by therapistsIn this group, acupressure will be administered to stage I, stage II, and stage III cancer patients receiving at least one course of chemotherapy for a total of three days by researchers with acupressure certification. Before the application (pre-test) by the therapist, a questionnaire consisting of a personal information form, visual analog scale, nausea, vomiting and retching index and mental well-being scale will be applied to the patients in the group in question. At the end of the three-day acupressure application (post-test) applied to the patients included in the study by the therapist, a questionnaire consisting of a personal information form, visual analog scale, nausea, vomiting and retching index and mental well-being scale will be applied. In the acupressure group applied by the therapist, a total of three points will be applied to the upper extremity: the 4th point of the large intestine meridian (LI4), the Pericardium Meridian/Neiguan (P6), Yintang (EX-HN3) point. |
| Control group | Other | Other: Control groupThe control group will receive the routine treatment applied in the hospital, and acupressure will not be applied to this group. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (10 listed)
- ≥18 years
- Cancer patients without distant metastases in stage-1, stage-2 and stage-3 who have received at least one course of chemotherapy
- Pain degree 4 and above (will be evaluated with a visual analog scale)
- Nausea-vomiting degree of 4 and above (will be evaluated with a visual analog scale)
- Receiving standard antiemetic and standard analgesic treatment (All patients included in the study should receive similar treatment.)
Key exclusion criteria (10 listed)
- < 18 years old
- Those who have not received chemotherapy before
- Pain grade below 4 (will be evaluated with a visual analog scale)
- Nausea-vomiting degree below 4 (will be evaluated with a visual analog scale)
- Receiving different antiemetic and analgesic treatments
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Self-acupressureIn the self-acupressure group, before the application, the tissue sensitivity will be reduced by heating and rubbing for 20 seconds without direct pressure on the acupressure points, and the points will be made ready for acupressure application. Afterwards, sequential (breathing rhythm) compressions will be applied to the determined acupressure points by the researcher for a total of two minutes for each point without raising the finger, taking into account the pain threshold of the individual who is applied with the thumb, with 10 seconds of pressure for two seconds of relief. Two of the three different points (LI4 and P6) selected for the application will be applied symmetrically on the other extremity. Therefore, the session duration of each patient will be approximately 12 minutes, depending on the preparation and compression time on each point. Afterwards, acupressure will be applied to themselves by participants | Other | Self acupressure group |
| Acupressure by therapistsIn the acupressure group applied by therapist, before the application, the tissue sensitivity will be reduced by heating and rubbing for about 20 seconds without direct pressure on the acupressure points, and the points will be ready for acupressure application. Afterwards, sequential (breathing rhythm) compressions will be applied to the determined acupressure points by the researcher for a total of two minutes for each point without raising the finger, taking into account the pain threshold of the individual who is applied with the thumb, with 10 seconds of pressure for two seconds of relief. Two of the three different points (LI4 and P6) selected for the application will be applied symmetrically on the other extremity. Therefore, the session duration of each patient will be approximately 12 minutes, depending on the preparation and compression time on each point. | Other | Acupressure by therapist |
| Control groupNo intervention will be made in the control group. | Other | Control group |
Primary outcome
Pain intensity will be evaluated with a visual analog scale.
Time frame: Change from baseline pain level at 3 days
The patient evaluates their own pain using a scale ranging from 1 to 10, with 1 = very mild discomfort and 10 = the most severe pain the patient can imagine. Ranges for pain intensity; <3 mild pain, 3-6 moderate pain, >6 severe pain.
Nausea-vomiting severity will be evaluated with the Rhodes Nausea-Vomiting and Retching Index.
Time frame: Change from baseline nausea-vomiting level at 3 days
Each response is scored as 0 = least distress, 4 = most distress. The patient's experience of nausea and vomiting in each of the 8 items is summed up. The highest possible value is 32, indicating the most severe symptom occurrence score.
Mental well-being will be evaluated using the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale.
Time frame: Change from baseline mental well-being level at 3 days
The scale is in the 5-point Likert type and a minimum of 14 and a maximum of 70 points are obtained from the scale. Scoring of the scale is (1 = strongly disagree, 2 = disagree, 3 = somewhat agree, 4 = agree, 5 = completely agree).
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 2 Oct 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Esra Çavuşoğlu, Doctorate study director
Mersin University
Hilal Altundal Duru, Doctorate principal investigator
Çankırı Karatekin University
Kadir Eser principal investigator
Mersin University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Self-acupressure and Acupressure by therapists in people with Pain and Nausea With Vomiting Chemotherapy-Induced, run by Mersin University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 10 inclusion and 10 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 2 Oct 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Pain intensity will be evaluated with a visual analog scale. (time frame: Change from baseline pain level at 3 days). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 2 Oct 2026.