MassageMag: Acupressure Increases Alertness in the Classroom

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Misty L. Trepke

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Acupressure Increases Alertness in the Classroom

http://www.massagemag.com/Magazine/2006/issue119/research119.3.php

 

Researchers at the University of Michigan Health System have found

that acupressure may reduce sleepiness and help keep students awake

during class.

 

" Using Acupressure to Modify Alertness in the Classroom: A Single-

Blinded, Randomized, Cross-Over Trial " examined the effects of

acupressure treatments on alertness in a full-day classroom setting.

 

Thirty-nine students attending a course in clinical research design

and statistical analysis at the University of Michigan participated

in the study. All subjects were taught to self-administer

acupressure to stimulation points and relaxation points on their

legs, feet, hands and heads. They applied light finger-tapping or

used thumbs or forefingers lightly to massage the points.

 

The subjects were divided randomly into two groups. One group of

students self-administered acupressure to the stimulation points on

the first day and to the relaxation points on days two and three.

The other group worked the relaxation points on the first day, then

the stimulation points on days two and three. The treatment was

administered mid-day during the lunch period.

 

The subjects rated their levels of sleepiness in the morning, before

class began, and in the late afternoon, at the end of class. Pre-

and post-treatment alertness scores were assessed each day using the

Stanford Sleepiness Scale (SSS). Stimulation acupressure treatment

yielded a 0.56-point greater difference in score on the SSS,

corresponding to less fatigue, compared to the relaxation

acupressure treatment (p = 0.019).

 

" Our finding suggests that acupressure can change alertness in

people who are in classroom settings for a full day—which could be

very good news for students who have trouble staying alert at

school, " said Richard E. Harris. He added that further research is

necessary to confirm these findings and to determine whether

stimulation and relaxation acupressure are equally effective in

influencing alertness.

 

— Source: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology,

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich., Course on Clinical

Research Design and Statistical Analysis, University of Michigan,

School of Public Health. Ann Arbor, Mich. Authors: Richard E.

Harris, Ph.D.; Joanne Jeter, M.D.; Paul Chan, M.D.; Peter Higgins,

M.D. Ph.D.; Feng-Ming Kong, M.D.; Reza Fazel, M.D.; Candace Bramson,

M.D.; Brenda Gillespie, Ph.D. Originally published in the Journal of

Alternative and Complementary Medicine, Aug 2005, Vol. 11, No. 4:

673–679.