Effects of Meridian Acupressure Massage on Body Composition, Edema, Stress, and Fatigue in Postpartum Women.

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to investigate the effects of meridian acupressure massage on body composition, edema, stress, and fatigue in postpartum women.

DESIGN

A quasi-experimental design with a nonequivalent control group was utilized.

SETTINGS/LOCATION: The Postpartum Care Center of Women's Hospital in Gwangju City, Republic of Korea.

SUBJECTS

The study group consisted of 39 postpartum women, 19 in the experimental group and 20 in the control group, recruited from the postpartum care center of Women's Hospital in Gwangju city, South Korea.

INTERVENTIONS

The experimental group was provided with meridian acupressure massage for 90 min daily over 5 days as an experimental therapy.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Body composition (body weight, BMI, total body water, ECW ratio, LBM, and body fat) Edema (subjective edema, average girth of the upper limbs, and average girth of the lower limbs), Stress (psychological stress and physical stress), and Fatigue.

RESULTS

The experimental group demonstrated a significantly larger decrease compared with the control group in measures of body composition, edema, total subjective stress, psychological stress, and subjective fatigue.

CONCLUSIONS

Meridian acupressure massage can hasten the return to original body composition after childbirth.