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NCT Number: NCT07558252

The Effect of Acupressure on Multiple Sclerosis Patients

There are studies in the literature evaluating the effects of acupressure application in MS patients. In a study; it was shown that acupressure application reduced pain and fatigue. In a study; acupressure was found to reduce fatigue and depression scores. In a study; acupressure was found to improve the patient's physical and cognitive functions and quality of life. In a study; acupressure was found to have positive effects on reducing fatigue in MS patients. In a study acupressure application was found to have significant effects in reducing fatigue. There are no studies evaluating the combined effects of acupressure on fatigue, pain, sleep quality, and quality of life parameters in MS patients. This study is planned to determine the effects of acupressure on fatigue, pain, sleep quality, and quality of life in MS patients.

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Key information

Conditions

Multiple Sclerosis Autoimmune Diseases Autoimmune Diseases of the Nervous System Demyelinating Autoimmune Diseases, CNS Demyelinating Diseases Immune System Diseases Nervous System Diseases

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Hospital of Harran University

Sanliurfa, Şanlıurfa, 63000, Turkey (Türkiye)

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • At least 6 months of confirmed MS diagnosis
  • With RRMS
  • Aged 18 years or older
  • With a pain score of VAS≥3
  • Not having used pain medication in the last 8 hours prior to the acupressure session
  • With a Fatigue Severity Scale score of 4 or higher
  • Without a diagnosis of cancer
  • Without diabetes
  • No neurological disease other than MS
  • Not receiving any other complementary treatment
  • Non-smoker
  • Literate and able to communicate
  • No deformity or lesion in the areas where acupressure will be applied
  • No mental problems that could prevent cooperation with the acupressure application
  • Not taking sedative medication
  • With stable vital signs
  • Without heart disease
  • Not pregnant
  • Residing in Şanlıurfa
  • Patients who are willing to participate in the study

Exclusion criteria

  • Patients who did not attend at least 4 sessions
  • Patients who wish to withdraw from the study

Treatment and study plan

Acupressure

Other

examining pain, fatigue, sleep, and quality of life

Primary outcomes

  1. Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS)

    Time frame: Baseline, at the end of the 3rd week, and at the end of the 6th week.

    The FSS is a 9-item scale used to assess the impact of fatigue on daily activities. Each item is rated on a 7-point Likert scale ranging from 1 to 7. The total score is the average of the 9 items. Scores range from 1 to 7, where higher scores indicate greater fatigue severity (worse outcome).

Secondary outcomes

  1. Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for Pain

    Time frame: Baseline, at the end of the 3rd week, and at the end of the 6th week.

    The Visual Analog Scale (VAS) is used to measure the intensity of pain. It consists of a 10-cm horizontal line where 0 indicates "no pain" and 10 indicates "unbearable pain." Participants mark the point that represents their current pain level. Higher scores represent increased pain intensity (worse outcome).

  2. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)

    Time frame: Baseline, at the end of the 3rd week, and at the end of the 6th week.

    The PSQI is used to evaluate sleep quality over the past month. It consists of 19 individual items generating seven component scores. The total score ranges from 0 to 21. A higher total score indicates poorer sleep quality (worse outcome).

  3. Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life-54 (MSQOL-54)

    Time frame: Baseline, at the end of the 3rd week, and at the end of the 6th week.

    The MSQOL-54 is a multidimensional health-related quality of life measure. It provides two main summary scores: Physical Health and Mental Health. Scores for each subscale are transformed to a 0-100 scale. For these subscales, higher scores indicate a better quality of life (better outcome).

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Hasan Kalyoncu University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

The Effect of Acupressure on Pain, Fatigue, Sleep, and Quality of Life in Multiple Sclerosis Patients

Acronym: MS

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2026
First posted
Apr 30, 2026
Registry last updated
Apr 30, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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