EFFECT OF ELECTRICAL ACUPUNCTURE (FOOT MASSAGE) ON BLOOD PRESSURE IN PRESUMABLY HEALTHY STUDENTS OF OLABISI ONABANJO UNIVERSITY, OGUN STATE, SOUTH-WEST, NIGERIA

Abstract

Electrical acupuncture has been in existence for a very long time, and it has been known to cure many ailments such
as its application on pre-hypertensive and hypertensive patients to have reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of electrical acupuncture on Blood Pressure of presumably healthy
undergraduates. Fifty (50) undergraduate students from Physiology Department, Olabisi Onabanjo University, were
used in this study. The Systolic and Diastolic Blood Pressure of the subjects were taken before and after the application
of electrical acupuncture (foot massage) for ten days. It was revealed from this study that, there was a non-significant
difference (p>0.05) in the mean systolic blood pressure after the intervention of electrical acupuncture but there was
a significant difference (p<0.05) in the mean diastolic blood pressure. Inferential statistical result of this study as seen
in Systolic and Diastolic Blood Pressure was based on presumed healthy undergraduates that participated, those who
had a normal blood pressure as baseline before the commencement on application of electrical acupuncture. In
conclusion, this study showed that the application of electrical acupuncture in specified duration, such as in few days
(ten) from this study slightly reduced Systolic Blood Pressure while there was a statistically significant increase in
Diastolic Blood Pressure, that which could result from the presumably healthy undergraduates that participated.