Traditional Japanese acupuncture and heat therapy were associated with restored eating, weight gain, and return to work in a woman with avoidant restrictive food intake disorder.
A woman with avoidant restrictive food intake disorder developed reduced eating, weight loss, abdominal bloating, altered taste, and tongue pain following severe workplace stress. She was reluctant to take prescribed antipsychotic medication and instead received weekly traditional Japanese acupuncture alongside heat-based moxibustion treatment.
Her symptoms began to improve within a month, enabling her to resume work on a limited basis after a prolonged absence. Weight gain began several months into treatment and eventually approached her previous body weight, suggesting that acupuncture and moxibustion may offer a supportive non-drug treatment option for this disorder.
