Acupressure on the Extra 1 Acupoint: The Effect on Bispectral Index, Serum Melatonin, Plasma ??-Endorphin, and Stress

In Brief BACKGROUND: Acupressure on the “extra 1” point decreases bispectral index (BIS) values and stress. METHODS: We investigated the BIS, melatonin, β-endorphin, and verbal stress score values before, after 10 min of acupressure application on the extra 1 point, on a sham point, after no acupressure, and 1 h after completion of each intervention in 12 volunteers. RESULTS: The BIS and verbal stress score values were decreased after acupressure on the extra 1 point (P = 0.0001 and P = 0.008, respectively), but melatonin and β-endorphin did not change. CONCLUSION: Acupressure on the extra 1 point has no effect on melatonin and β-endorphin levels. IMPLICATIONS: We investigated the effect of acupressure on the “extra 1” acupoint in volunteers. Acupressure applied for 10 min on the extra 1 point reduced the bispectral index values and stress when compared with a sham point and with no pressure application, but melatonin and β-endorphin did not change significantly.