Regular Use of Acupressure Mats Reduces Perceived Stress at Subjective but not Psychophysiological Levels: Insights From a Three-Week Relaxation Training

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

DRKS

Registry ID

DRKS00031315

Enrollment

Registered

2023-02-23

Start date

2022-05-17

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2025-04-07

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Subclinical stress perception and well-being

Interventions

Group 1: Experimental condition - three-week relaxation training using an acupressure mat. Participants in this condition were instructed to lie with their bare backs on an acupressure mat for 20-30mi

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Age

18 Years to 35 Years

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: Physical and mental health, compare exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: Epilepsy, diagnosed psychological disorders (esp. claustrophobia, schizophrenia, sleep disorders, affective disorders), use of central nervous system medications, acute alcohol influence, acute cannabis influence, cardiovascular system disorders, prior experience with acupressure mats, prior experience with meditation, Reynaud's syndrome.

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). The PANAS assesses positive and negative affective states by means of a self-rating, represented in two subscales, positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA). World Health Organization – Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5). The WHO-5 assesses the current well-being of the participants and refers to the preceding two weeks. Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). The PSS measures the perceived stress with reference to the previous month by means of a self-rating. Pain Sensitivity Questionnaire (PSQ). The PSQ measures pain sensitivity based on the participants rating of painful everyday situations, e. g., touching something hot. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The PSQI assesses sleep quality by means of a self-rating. The items refer to the previous four weeks. Blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR). The cardiovascular measures were obtained with a calibrated electric blood pressure device (Beurer BM27; Beurer GmbH, Ulm, Germany) using the integrated upper arm cuff. The cuff was attached to the non-dominant upper arm. BP and HR were measured two times. d2-test. The d2-test is a standardized neuropsychological test on concentration endurance, assessing sustained attention during a visual search task. Cold Pressor Test (CPT). The CPT was conducted to assess the participants pain threshold and pain tolerance.	—

Measure

Time frame

Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). The PANAS assesses positive and negative affective states by means of a self-rating, represented in two subscales, positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA). World Health Organization – Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5). The WHO-5 assesses the current well-being of the participants and refers to the preceding two weeks. Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). The PSS measures the perceived stress with reference to the previous month by means of a self-rating. Pain Sensitivity Questionnaire (PSQ). The PSQ measures pain sensitivity based on the participants rating of painful everyday situations, e. g., touching something hot. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The PSQI assesses sleep quality by means of a self-rating. The items refer to the previous four weeks. Blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR). The cardiovascular measures were obtained with a calibrated electric blood pressure device (Beurer BM27; Beurer GmbH, Ulm, Germany) using the integrated upper arm cuff. The cuff was attached to the non-dominant upper arm. BP and HR were measured two times. d2-test. The d2-test is a standardized neuropsychological test on concentration endurance, assessing sustained attention during a visual search task. Cold Pressor Test (CPT). The CPT was conducted to assess the participants pain threshold and pain tolerance.

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Countries

Germany

Contacts

Public ContactJoanna Kisker

Universität Osnabrück - Allgemeine Psychologie I (FB08)

joanna.kisker@uni-osnabrück.de+49 541 969 7673

Outcome results

None listed

Source: DRKS (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026