Acupuncture and Stress

Stress Research

Eich H, Agelink MW, Lehmann E, Lemmer W, Klieser E. Klinik fŸr Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, am Evangelischen Krankenhaus Gelsenkirchen UniversitŠtsklinik der Ruhr-UniversitŠt Bochum.

In a placebo-controlled, randomized, modified double-blind study we investigated the effects of body needle acupuncture (n = 10) in 43 patients with minor depression (ICD 10 F32.0, F32.1) and 13 patients with generalized anxiety disorders (ICD10 F41.1). The severity of the disease was assessed by the Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGI). Treatment response was defined as a significant improvement in CGI. An intent-to-treat analysis was performed to compare treatment responses between verum- and placebo acupuncture. After completing an total of 10 acupuncture sessions the verum acupuncture group (n = 28) showed a significantly larger clinical improvement compared to the placebo group (Mann-Whitney test, p < 0.05). There were significantly more responders in the verum-compared to the placebo group (60.7% vs. 21.4%; chi-square test, p < 0.01). In contrast, no differences in the response rates were evident just after 5 acupuncture sessions. A multivariate analysis with the independent factor acupuncture (verum vs. placebo) and the results of the results of the additional rating scales (total score of HAMA, HAMD, Bf-S, BL) as dependent variables (ANOVA, 1:54 D.F.) revealed a clear trend towards lower HAMA scores in the verum group after completing 10 acupunctures (F3.29, p = 0.075). This corresponds well to the high response rate of 85.7% in patients with generalized anxiety disorders, in whom verum acupuncture was applied. Our results indicate that needle acupuncture (Du.20, Ex.6, He.7, Pe.6, Bl.62) leads to a significant clinical improvement as well as to a remarkable reduction in anxiety symptoms in patients with minor depression or with generalized anxiety disorders. The total sum of acupuncture sessions and the specific location of acupuncture needle insertions might be important factors for bringing about therapeutic success.

Fortschr Neurol Psychiatr. 2000 Mar;68(3):137-44.Links


Auricular Acupuncture: A Potential Treatment for Anxiety
Shu-Ming Wang, MD*, and Zeev N. Kain, MD*

*Department of Anesthesiology, and the Departments of Pediatrics and Child Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine and Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, Connecticut

Acupuncture can be an effective treatment for chronic anxiety disorders. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of acupuncture in reducing anxiety in a volunteer population. If found effective, this modality could be introduced as a treatment of anxiety before surgery. Adult volunteers (n = 55), were randomized to three treatment groups: a) Shenmen groupÑbilateral auricular acupuncture at the "shenmen" point; b) Relaxation groupÑbilateral auricular acupuncture at a "relaxation" point; and c) Sham groupÑbilateral auricular acupuncture at a "sham" point. Press-acupuncture needles were inserted at the respective auricular areas for 48 h. State anxiety, blood pressure, heart rate, and electrodermal activity were assessed at 30 min, 24 h, and 48 h after insertion. Analyzing anxiety levels using repeated-measures analysis of variance has demonstrated a significant difference [F (2,51) =8.8, P = 0.001] between the three treatment groups. Post hoc analysis demonstrated that patients in the Relaxation group were significantly less anxious at 30 min (P = 0.007) and 24 h (P = 0.035) as compared with patients in both the Shenmen group and the Sham group, and less anxious at 48 h (P = 0.042) as compared with patients in Shenmen group. Repeated-measures analysis of variance performed for electrodermal activity, blood pressure, and heart rate demonstrated no group differences (P = ns). We conclude that auricular acupuncture at the "relaxation" point can decrease the anxiety level in a population of healthy volunteers.
Implications: Auricular acupuncture at the "relaxation" point can decrease anxiety in healthy volunteers. <
Anesth Analg 2001;92:548-553 © 2001 International Anesthesia Research Society


Acupuncture Increases Nocturnal Melatonin Secretion and Reduces Insomnia and Anxiety: A Preliminary Report
D. Warren Spence, M.A., Leonid Kayumov, Ph.D., DABSM, Adam Chen, Ph.D., Alan Lowe, M.D., Umesh Jain, M.D., Martin A. Katzman, M.D., Jianhua Shen, M.D., Boris Perelman, Ph.D. and Colin M. Shapiro, MBBCh, Ph.D., FRCP(C)

Received April 16, 2002; revised September 13, 2002; accepted October 1, 2002. From the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario; Sleep Research Laboratory, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario; The Michener Institute for Applied Health Sciences, Toronto, Ontario; St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario; Dept. of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario; Toronto Western Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario. Address correspondence to Dr. Kayumov, Sleep Research Laboratory, University Health Network, ECW 3D-035, 399 Bathurst St. Toronto, Ontario M5T-2S8, lkayumov@uhnres.utoronto.ca (E-mail).

The response to acupuncture of 18 anxious adult subjects who complained of insomnia was assessed in an open prepost clinical trial study. Five weeks of acupuncture treatment was associated with a significant (p = 0.002) nocturnal increase in endogenous melatonin secretion (as measured in urine) and significant improvements in polysomnographic measures of sleep onset latency (p = 0.003), arousal index (p = 0.001), total sleep time (p = 0.001), and sleep efficiency (p = 0.002). Significant reductions in state (p = 0.049) and trait (p = 0.004) anxiety scores were also found. These objective findings are consistent with clinical reports of acupuncture's relaxant effects. Acupuncture treatment may be of value for some categories of anxious patients with insomnia.
J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci 16:19-28, February 2004 © 2004 American Psychiatric Press, Inc.

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