Clinical efficacy of acupoint massage combined with auricular points plaster therapy on sleep and quality of life in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis

Objective: To explore the clinical efficacy of acupoint massage combined with auricular points plaster therapy on sleep quality and quality of life in patients undergoing Maintenance Hemodialysis (MHD). Methods: One hundred and twenty insomnia patients undergoing MHD from January 2022 to December 2024 were selected and randomly divided into an observation group ( n = 60) and a control group ( n = 60). The control group was given conventional treatment, while the observation group received acupoint massage combined with auricular points plaster therapy in addition to conventional treatment, with an intervention period of 4 weeks. After 4 weeks, the pre- and post-treatment Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) scores were compared, along with the Newcastle Nursing Satisfaction Scale (NSNS) scores between the two groups. Results: After 4 weeks of intervention, the observation group showed significant efficacy in TCM syndrome differentiation, with a response rate of 80.0%. The total PSQI and WHOQOL scores decreased ( p < 0.05), with an overall response rate of 90.0%. Meanwhile, after 4 weeks of intervention, the observation group demonstrated significant efficacy in TCM syndrome differentiation after intervention for 4 weeks, with an overall response rate of 90.0%. Additionally, the PSQI score remarkably decreased ( p < 0.05) and the WHOQOL-BREF score substantially increased ( p < 0.05), with the NSNS score being markedly higher than that of the control group ( p < 0.05). Conclusion: The selection of acupoints for acupoint massage combined with auricular points plaster therapy can improve sleep quality, quality of life, and nursing satisfaction in patients undergoing MHD.