The Changes in the Neck Meridian Test Scores Induced by Self-Administered Acupressure: A Secondary Analysis of Data from a Randomized Controlled Trial of Self-Administered Acupressure
In the neck meridian test, the examinee stretches
his or her neck in four directions and rates the intensity of pain and/or
symptoms on a four point Likert scale. The four responses are summed to
calculate the test score. This study conducted secondary analyses of data from
a randomized controlled trial of self-administered acupressure. The study aimed
to examine the change of the neck meridian test score induced by
self-administered acupressure. The data of 54 (male, n = 34; female, n = 20)
students, who were randomly assigned to an intervention group (IG) and a
control group (CG), were subjected to secondary analyses. The IG participants
were asked to complete a self-administered acupressure intervention for two
weeks; the CG participants were not. In the IG, the perceived stress decreased
significantly over time, while the neck meridian test score decreased
significantly; in contrast, this score increased in the CG. A significant
positive correlation was found between the changes in the perceived stress and
neck meridian test scores. These results supported validity of the neck
meridian test as a tool for assessing perceived stress.
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