Effect of Fang's scalp acupuncture on perceived stress and sleep structure in insomnia patients: a randomized controlled trial / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the efficacy on insomnia between Fang 's scalp acupuncture combined with conventional acupuncture and the simple conventional acupuncture.@*METHODS@#A total of 66 patients with insomnia were randomly divided into an observation group (33 cases, 1 case dropped off) and a control group (33 cases, 2 cases dropped off). In the control group, the routine acupuncture therapy was applied to Shenmen (HT 7), Baihui (GV 20), Zhaohai (KI 6) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6), etc. Based on the treatment as the control group, Fang's scalp acupuncture therapy was supplemented at fuxiang tou, fuzang shangjiao, fuzang zhongjiao, siwei, etc. At these scalp points, the needles were inserted perpendicularly with flying needling technique and manipulated with trembling one. In either group, the treatment was given once daily, continuously for 2 weeks. Before and after treatment, separately, the score of Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) and the score of Chinese perceived stress scale (CPSS) were observed, as well as the parameters monitored by polysomnography, i.g. total sleep time (TST), sleep onset latency (SOL), wakefulness after the sleep onset (WASO), sleep efficiency (SE), the percentages of the time of rapid eye movement sleep phase (REM) and non-rapid eye movement sleep phase 1, 2, 3 and 4 in TST (REM%, N1%, N2%, N3%). The efficacy was compared between two groups.@*RESULTS@#After treatment, the scores of each factor and the total scores of PSQI, as well as CPSS scores were all lower than those before treatment in the two groups (P<0.01, P<0.05); except the score for sleep quality, the score of each factor and the total score of PSQI, as well as CPSS score in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.01, P<0.05). After treatment, TST, SE%, REM% and N3% were increased and SOL, WASO, N1% were decreased as compared with before treatment in the two groups (P<0.01, P<0.05), and N2% in the observation group was decreased (P<0.01); SE%, REM% and N3% in the observation group were higher than the control group (P<0.05) and N1% and N2% were lower than the control group (P<0.05). The total effective rate was 93.8% (30/32) in the observation group, higher than 87.1% (27/31) in the control group (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Fang 's scalp acupuncture, on the base of routine acupuncture, obviously improves the sleep quality and perceived stress and adjusts the sleep structure in the patients with insomnia.

Sleep disorder treated mainly with flying needling therapy: a clinical randomized controlled research / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the clinical efficacy on sleep disorder in the intervention of flying needling therapy and compare the efficacy difference among flying needling therapy, estazolam and non-acupoint acupuncture.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Three hundred and fifteen cases of sleep disorder were randomized into a flying needling group (110 cases), an estazolam group (107 cases) and a non-acupoint acupuncture group (98 cases). In the flying needling group, the flying needling therapy was applied to Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Anmian (EX HN22), Shenmen (HT 7) and so on. Additionally, vitamin B1 was prescribed for oral administration and the intradermal needle method was given at the Back-shu points. In the estazolam group, estazolam was prescribed for oral administration. Also the non-acupoint acupuncture and the acupoint sticking therapy on the Back-shu points were given additionally. In the non-acupoint acupuncture group, the non-acupoint acupuncture, oral administration of vitamin B1 and the acupoint sticking therapy on the Back-shu points were applied. The treatment of 2 weeks were required in all the groups. The efficacy and the score of PSQI (Pittsburgh sleep quality index) were observed in the 2-week follow-up visit.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The total effective rate in the flying needling group was 84.1% (90/107), which was superior to 59.7% (62/104) in the estazolam group and 25.0% (24/96) in the non-acupoint acupuncture group (both P < 0.05). In the follow-up observation, the score of each item and the total score of PSQI were lower apparently than those before treatment in each group (all P < 0.05), and those in the flying needling group were lower apparently than those in the other two groups (all P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The flying needling therapy as the chief therapeutic method effectively improves the sleep quality for the patients with sleep disorder, which is apparently superior to estazolam and non-acupoint acupuncture.</p>