The efficacy of acupuncture with Lingguibafa acupoint selection in the treatment of insomnia: A PRISMA-compliant meta-analysis

Ji H, Zhang K, Lu Y, Kong X, Ma X · Medicine · 2022 October 28

Objective

To evaluate the clinical efficacy of acupuncture with Lingguibafa acupoint selection (LAS) in patient with insomnia.

Conclusions

Acupuncture with Lingguibafa acupoint selection (LAS) is significantly associated with improvements in several sleep parameters, primarily evident on the PSQI score.

Critical Appraisal

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Insights

Acupuncture using Lingguibafa acupoint selection shows notable improvements in various sleep parameters for individuals suffering from insomnia.

The study conducted an extensive systematic search through multiple databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and more for randomized controlled trials that compared Lingguibafa acupoint selection acupuncture with dialectical acupoint selection acupuncture in treating insomnia. Two independent review authors extracted data and assessed each trial's quality. A meta-analysis was subsequently performed using random-effects models to calculate relative risks and weighted mean differences for categorical and continuous variables respectively. The inclusion of seven trials involving 468 patients showed that acupuncture with Lingguibafa acupoint selection either alone or combined with dialectical acupoint selection resulted in significant improvements in multiple sleep parameters, notably the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score. There were also substantial improvements in sleep quality, latency, and daytime function. However, it had no significant effect in treating sleep disorder and dependence on hypnotic drugs. While the overall total effectiveness rate was higher in the Lingguibafa acupoint selection group, the conclusion was deemed less credible due to the poor methodological quality across the trials.