ABSTRACT
Objective To observe the effect of acupoint thread-embedding at Neiguan (PC6) and Zusanli (ST36) on anxiety and sleep disorders after heroin withdrawal. Method Sixty-seven patients with heroin addiction were randomized into a Neiguan group (25 cases), a Zusanli group (22 cases) and a Neiguan plus Zusanli group (20 cases), to receive corresponding treatments once every 20 d, for 4 sessions in total. The Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were adopted to observe the anxiety and sleep condition before and after the treatment. Result After 60 d thread-embedding treatment, the total and standard SAS scores, sleep initiation time and total PSQI score were significantly decreased in the 3 groups (P Neiguan group >Zusanli group (P0.05). Conclusion It's effective to use thread-embedding at Neiguan and Zusanli independently or together for anxiety and sleep disorders after heroin withdrawal, but the efficacy is more significant when the two points are used in combination, indicating the synergy of acupoints.