The Effect of Acupressure on Dyspnea and Anxiety Levels

The pathophysiological changes that occur in the airways and alveoli in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease can cause many symptoms such as dyspnea, cough and sputum, which restrict the daily lives of individuals. Dyspnea and anxiety are at the top of the list among these symptoms, which affect individuals in many ways and limit them in many areas. While physiological, psychological and sociological factors cause dyspnea, the anxiety that develops in patients along with dyspnea also accompanies the symptoms. These symptoms seen in individuals with COPD not only negatively affect the quality of life of individuals, but also bring about psychological, cognitive, economic and social problems. Therefore, reducing anxiety and dyspnea in patients with COPD is of great importance in controlling the symptoms. Recently, acupressure has been frequently preferred among non-pharmacological methods in symptom control. As a result of studies conducted with different patient groups in the literature, it has been stated that acupressure reduces dyspnea and anxiety levels. In this study, five tools will be used: Patient Identification Form, Modified Borg Dyspnea Scale (MBS), Medical Research Council (MRC) Dyspnea Scale, Beck Anxiety Scale (BAÖ) and Patient Follow-up Schedule. Individuals will be applied acupressure once a day for two minutes at LI4, HT7, LU1, ST36 points, for a total of 20 sessions. It is of great importance for nurses to follow current care methods, include them in nursing care and improve themselves in this regard. No current study has been found in the literature investigating the effect of acupressure applied to individuals with COPD on dyspnea and anxiety. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of acupressure applied to individuals with COPD on dyspnea and anxiety.