Key Finding
Twenty minutes of acupressure at the Yintang point (EX-HN 3) significantly reduced anxiety, stress, and physiological arousal — including blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate — in patients undergoing coronary angiography.
If you've ever felt nervous before a medical procedure, you're not alone. Coronary angiography — a test that checks blood flow in the heart — can cause significant anxiety and stress for many patients. Researchers in Tehran, Iran, wanted to know whether a simple, non-invasive technique called acupressure could help patients feel calmer and more comfortable before and during the procedure.
In the study, 70 patients were divided into two groups. One group received 20 minutes of acupressure applied to a point known as the "Third Eye" or Yintang point (EX-HN 3), located between the eyebrows. The other group received standard medical care only. Patients in both groups filled out questionnaires measuring their anxiety, stress, depression, and comfort levels. Their blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing rate were also monitored.
The results were encouraging. Patients who received acupressure reported significantly lower anxiety and stress, and felt more comfortable compared to the control group. Their blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing rate also dropped measurably. Depression scores, however, did not show a significant change — suggesting acupressure may be especially helpful for immediate, situation-based stress rather than longer-term mood conditions.
What does this mean for you? If you're facing a stressful medical procedure, acupressure at the Yintang point may be a safe, easy-to-use tool to help calm your nerves. The technique is gentle, requires no needles, and can even be self-applied with guidance. While this study was small and more research is needed, the findings add to a growing body of evidence supporting acupressure as a complement to conventional medical care.
If you're interested in exploring acupressure or acupuncture for anxiety or procedural stress, consider consulting a licensed acupuncturist who can guide you safely and effectively.
This randomized clinical trial (n=70) investigated the effect of 20-minute acupressure at EX-HN 3 (Yintang) on patients undergoing coronary angiography in Tehran, Iran. Participants were evenly divided into intervention and control groups, with outcomes assessed using the DASS-21 and General Comfort Questionnaire (GCQ) at baseline, post-intervention, and post-angiography, alongside continuous hemodynamic monitoring. Repeated-measures ANOVA revealed statistically significant reductions in anxiety (p<0.001), stress (p<0.001), and improved comfort scores in the intervention group. Depression scores showed no significant change (p=0.873). Physiological parameters — including systolic/diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate — decreased significantly in the intervention group. No effect sizes were reported. The calming and autonomic-modulating effects of Yintang stimulation support its clinical utility as a pre-procedural adjunct for anxiety and sympathetic arousal. Clinically, this suggests EX-HN 3 acupressure is a low-risk, accessible intervention worth integrating into cardiac procedural care pathways pending larger trials.
Browse our directory of verified licensed practitioners near you.
Find a practitioner →📌 Over 25 years, mental fatigue research in ball sports has shifted from descriptive concussion studies toward neural mechanisms and psychoemotional factors like burnout and anxiety, with a growing need for personalized, real-world intervention models.
📌 Electroacupuncture reduced anxiety-like behavior in chronically stressed mice by normalizing excitatory/inhibitory synaptic balance and suppressing NOX2-mediated oxidative stress in the ventral hippocampal CA1 region.
📌 An 8-week supervised yoga program significantly reduced anxiety, depression, and perceived stress while improving quality of life in patients with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis compared to standard care alone.