Positive Health Online

Abstract

FU and COLLEAGUES,  1. Laboratory Center of Medicine, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China; 2. Editorial Department of Journal of Acupuncture and Tuina Science, Shanghai Research Institute of Acupuncture and Meridian, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China; 3. Sleep and Wake Disorders Center and Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China evaluated the short-term efficacy of acupuncture for the treatment of peri-menopausal insomnia (PMI).

Background

The authors set out to evaluate the short-term efficacy of acupuncture for the treatment of peri-menopausal insomnia (PMI).

Methodology

Design: A randomized, participant-blind, placebo-controlled trial consisted of the acupuncture group (n = 38) and placebo-acupuncture group (n = 38). Setting: A tertiary teaching and general hospital. Participants: 76 peri-menopausal women with insomnia disorder based on the International Classification of Sleep Disorders, Third Edition. Interventions: A 10-session of acupuncture at bilateral Shenshu (BL 23) and Ganshu (BL 18) with unilateral Qimen (LR 14) and Jingmen (GB 25) or Streitberger needles at the same acupoints was performed for over 3 weeks. Measurements: Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) with over-night polysomnography (PSG) exam were completed at baseline and post-treatment.

Results

After the treatments, the decrease from baseline in PSQI score was 8.03 points in acupuncture group and 1.29 points in placebo-acupuncture group. The change from baseline in ISI score was 11.35 points in acupuncture group and 2.87 points in placebo-acupuncture group. In PSG data, acupuncture significantly improved the sleep efficiency and total sleep time, associated with less wake after sleep onset and lower percent stage 1 after the treatment. No significant differences from baseline to post-treatment were found in placebo-acupuncture group.

Conclusion

Acupuncture can contribute to a clinically relevant improvement in the short-term treatment of PMI, both subjectively and objectively. Clinical Trial Registration:

References

Acupuncture for peri-menopause insomnia: a randomized controlled trial, http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=12118  ChiCTR-IPR-15007199, China.

Fu C1, Zhao N1, Liu Z1, Yuan LH1, Xie C2, Yang WJ1, Yu XT1, Yu H3, Chen YF1. Acupuncture Improves Peri-menopausal Insomnia: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Sleep. 40(11). doi: 10.1093/sleep/zsx153. Nov 1 2017.