Effects of Auricular Acupressure on Hip Flexibility and Pain in Taekwondo Participants: Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND

In sports, hip flexibility is essential to reduce injuries and improve performance.

AIM: This study aimed to examine the effects of auricular acupressure on hip flexibility and pain in Taekwondo participants.

METHOD: This randomized controlled trial was performed in the Republic of Korea from January 2021 to August 2021. The Numeric Rating Scale for Pain and Hip Flexibility was used. Twenty-one participants received auricular pressure once weekly for six weeks, while 17 participants did not receive any intervention. Auricular acupressure was applied to the hip (AH13), Shinmun, and auricular acupressure points associated with the pain areas reported by the participants.

RESULTS

Auricular acupressure improved hip flexibility (t = 2.67, p = .011) and back pain (t = 2.11, p = .043). The mean difference in post-pretest hip flexibility in the experimental group was 16.24 degrees (±13.63), whereas that in the control group was 4.77 degrees (±15.07). The mean difference in the experimental group's pre-post-test scores of back pain was 1.24 (±2.64), whereas that in the control group was 0.18 (±1.41).

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study showed that auricular acupressure could be used to treat pain and improve hip flexibility.