Comparative Effects of P6 Acupressure Wristbands and Press Needle on Postoperative Pain Following Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Postoperative pain remains a common challenge following laparoscopic cholecystectomy despite advances in surgical techniques. Non-pharmacological approaches such as acupressure have been proposed as adjuncts to conventional analgesia. This study aimed to compare the effects of P6 acupressure applied via wristbands and press needles on postoperative pain intensity and analgesic consumption. Methods: This single-blind, five-arm randomized controlled trial was conducted on 175 patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Participants were allocated into five groups (n = 35 each): acupressure wristband, wristband placebo, press needle, press needle placebo, and control. Interventions were applied one hour before surgery and maintained for six hours postoperatively. Pain intensity was measured using the Visual Analog Scale at 0–1, 1–6, and 6–24 hours after surgery. Analgesic consumption within 24 hours was also recorded. Data were analyzed using appropriate statistical tests with a significance level of 0.05. Results: Pain intensity differed significantly among groups during the early (0–1 h) and late (6–24 h) postoperative periods (p < 0.05), but not during the intermediate period (1–6 h). Patients in the acupressure wristband and press needle groups reported lower pain scores and required fewer analgesics compared to placebo and control groups (p < 0.001). No significant differences were observed between the two intervention modalities. Conclusion: P6 acupressure using either wristbands or press needles is an effective complementary method for reducing postoperative pain and analgesic use following laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Its incorporation into multimodal pain management strategies may enhance postoperative recovery. Trial registration Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT) IRCT20190915044770N1 registered on 25 October 2019.