Acupressure improved insomnia in participants in a recent study, and its benefits lasted for up to two weeks after treatment.

Researchers from the department of Nursing, Yuanpei University, Hsinchu, Taiwan, set out to determine if acupressure benefits people with insomnia living in long-term care facilities.

Fifty residents with insomnia in such facilities were enrolled in a randomized controlled trial, with 25 participants allocated to the acupressure group and 25 participants to the control group, according to an abstract published on www.pubmed.gov.

For a five-week period, the experimental group received standard acupressure on the HT7 points of both wrists, whereas the control group received only light touch on the same places.

The experimental group had significant improvement in insomnia compared to the control group, not only during the intervention period, but also extending after intervention.

“Offering acupressure on a regular basis has the potential to improve insomnia in residents of long-term care facilities,” the researchers noted. “Acupressure on the HT7 point may improve insomnia for up to two weeks after the intervention.”