Effectiveness of Acupuncture and Acupressure for Improving the Sleep Quality of Menopausal Women: A Meta-Analysis.

Background: Various pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments are utilized to address sleep disorders. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effects of acupuncture and acupressure on enhancing sleep quality in menopausal women.

Methods: A systematic search was conducted using multiple databases, including Scopus, MEDLINE/PubMed, Cochrane CENTRAL, ProQuest, Google Scholar, and Iranian databases (SID, Iranmedex, Magiran) with no date restrictions up to July 2024. Studies published in both Persian and English were included in this meta-analysis. The search utilized keywords such as acupuncture, acupressure, sleep quality, insomnia, menopause, and sleep disorders. A pairwise random-effects meta-analysis was performed to calculate the mean difference (MD) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs).

Results: The analyses indicated that both acupuncture and acupressure effectively improved sleep quality in menopausal women. Eight trials with 499 participants demonstrated that acupressure significantly enhanced sleep quality (MD=-2.33, 95% CI=-3.27 to -1.38; I²=94%, P<0.001, n=8). Additionally, six trials with 344 participants showed that acupuncture enhanced sleep quality (MD=-3.47, 95% CI=-5.06 to -1.88; I²=97%, P<0.001, n=6).

Conclusion: The findings revealed that acupressure and acupuncture might improve sleep quality in menopausal women. However, there was a high heterogeneity between studies, and further research is required to confirm the findings of the present study.