Managing terminal restlessness, anxiety, and distress during the dying process with Yintang (EX-HN 3) point acupuncture or acupressure: a case series of 19 palliative care patients from a hospital in Germany

Abstract

This is a case series report of 19 palliative care patients where 23 acupuncture sessions were performed which included Yintang (EX-HN 3) acupuncture or acupressure for the relief of terminal restlessness, anxiety or psychological distress present during the dying process. There was an observable relief from the restlessness, anxiety and distress both in sessions where only Yintang (EX-HN 3) point acupuncture or acupressure was performed (observed in 10 out of 11 sessions) as well as in sessions where Yintang (EX-HN 3) point acupuncture or acupressure was performed together with additional interventions, such as other points acupuncture, ear acupuncture or benzodiazepine treatment (observed in 10 out of 12 sessions). In total relief was observed in 20 out of 23 sessions (86.9%). A hypothesis that might worth further testing is whether Yintang (EX-HN 3) acupuncture or acupressure has an anxiolytic, tranquillising or sedative effect in dying patients. If confirmed this could be potentially useful in the fields of palliative care or disaster/triage medicine.