Insights & Discussion
Acupuncture can be a safe and effective alternative therapy to conventional drugs for improving sleep quality and relieving symptoms in patients with active depression.
The research methodology involved a systematic review of randomized controlled trials focusing on the effect of acupuncture on depression-related insomnia. These studies were identified from seven different databases, dating up until December 2021. The papers included compared acupuncture to controls (waiting list or placebo/sham acupuncture) and conventional treatments (Western pharmacotherapy and/or cognitive-behavioral therapy) either alone or in combination with acupuncture. The analysis followed Cochrane criteria and encompassed a total of 21 trials, including 1,571 participants.
Regarding results, it was found that acupuncture significantly reduced severity metrics of sleep quality and depression for patients who have active depression, compared with placebo-acupuncture. When contrasted with standard care (antidepressants and/or sleeping aids), acupuncture led to improvements in sleep quality and depressive symptom scores. However, for those suffering from the lingering symptoms of past or partially treated depression, the therapeutic benefits of acupuncture were minor and not statistically noteworthy. Unfortunately, no studies were found to review acupuncture's efficacy compared to cognitive-behavioral therapy or its potential synergistic effect when used concurrently.
Discover Related Insights
Acupuncture may enhance the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy for people suffering from insomnia and related conditions.
2023 Sleep Medicine Clinics Acupuncture as an Adjunct Treatment to Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia Kutana S, Mao JJ, Garland SN
Theoretical Article Acupuncture Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
The research methodology used in this paper is mainly a theoretical analysis and discussion of the potential synergistic effects of combining cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) and acupuncture. This involves analysis of the current evidence base for the efficacy of acupuncture in treating insomnia and related conditions, along with examination of the practical, logistical, and regulatory aspects of combining these two treatments.
In the discussion of their results, the researchers found that there is a growing body of evidence that supports the potential benefit of acupuncture in treating insomnia and its comorbidities, enhancing the current standard treatment approach of CBT-I. This appears to be an innovative approach that could potentially enhance the treatment effectiveness and outcomes for those struggling with insomnia, though it concurrently raises complex issues in terms of its practical and regulatory implementation.
Stroke patients who received acupuncture had a lesser risk of insomnia across various demographic and medical variables.
2021 Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience Acupuncture Reduced the Risk for Insomnia in Stroke Patients: A Propensity-Score Matched Cohort Study Qiu X, Han NS, Yao JX, Yu FR, Lin YY, Zhuang X
Cohort Study Acupuncture Stroke
The study data was derived from the case database of a Chinese hospital, featuring stroke patients diagnosed between 2010 and 2019. These patients were sorted into two groups: one which received acupuncture and one which did not. The sorting was performed using a propensity score matching technique. Comparisons were made between the two groups using the incidence of insomnia as the primary indicator, with Cox regression analysis and the Kaplan-Meier method serving as the main analytical tools.
The results indicated that stroke patients who underwent acupuncture treatments were less susceptible to insomnia as compared to counterparts who didn't receive acupuncture treatment. This decrease in the incidence of insomnia was observed across various categories such as genders, age groups, stroke types and stroke locations, with the acupuncture group displaying a significantly lesser cumulative incidence of insomnia.
Depressed patients who received acupuncture treatment showed a significantly lower risk of developing Parkinson's disease.
2020 Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience Acupuncture Treatment Reduces Incidence of Parkinson's Disease in Patients With Depression: A Population-Based Retrospective Cohort Study in Taiwan Huang CH, Lin MC, Hsieh CL
Cohort Study Acupuncture Depression
The study was retrospective in nature and was based on data sourced from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. An equal number of patients (9,189), with and without acupuncture treatment, were selected from the total 48,981 patients newly diagnosed with depression between 2000 and 2012. These study participants were matched 1:1 using the propensity score method. The incidence of Parkinson's disease in these two groups was compared using the Kaplan-Meier method and the difference was examined with a log-rank test. The severity of depression and specific acupoints used were not indicated.
The results indicated a significantly lower risk of developing Parkinson's disease in patients who had undergone acupuncture treatment. Differences in age, sex, insurance amount, geographic region, urbanization levels, comorbidities, and drugs were taken into account. The cumulative effect was such that the incidence was significantly lower in the acupuncture cohort as compared to the non-acupuncture cohort.