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Last year the Sleep Education Blog reported that acupuncture is growing in popularity in the U.S. One reason people receive acupuncture is for help with insomnia.
But is acupuncture safe? An editorial published this week in the British Medical Journal expressed concerns.
The authors are from the department of microbiology at the University of Hong Kong. They wrote that acupuncture can put patients at risk for infection.
Acupuncture involves inserting needles up to several centimeters beneath the skin. This process can transmit micro-organisms to the patient.
There have been more than 50 reported cases of bacterial infection caused by acupuncture. Five outbreaks of hepatitis B virus infection also have been reported.
The authors fear that acupuncture could transmit the hepatitis C virus and HIV. But no causal links have been established.
The authors also described a new clinical syndrome called “acupuncture mycobacteriosis.” The mycobacteria are thought to be transmitted to patients by contaminated equipment. Examples include cotton swabs, towels, hot pack covers and boiling tanks.
The NCCAM reports that acupuncture is relatively safe. Each year millions of people are treated with acupuncture. And few complications have been reported to the FDA.
The FDA requires that acupuncture needles be made of solid, stainless steel. They must be sterile and labeled for single use only.
But the editorial authors think that the problem may be worse than has been reported.
“The case reports and outbreaks of acupuncture transmitted infections may be the tip of the iceberg,” they wrote.
The NCCAM reports that infections can be prevented when acupuncture is performed properly. A new set of disposable needles should be taken from a sealed package for each patient. And treatment sites should be swabbed with alcohol or another disinfectant before the needles are inserted.
Other proven treatments for insomnia are available. Both cognitive behavioral therapy and medications are effective. A board-certified sleep specialist can determine which treatment is best for you. Contact an AASM-accredited sleep disorders center if you have an ongoing problem with insomnia.
Read more about acupuncture for insomnia.Image by Net Doktor
Recently the Sleep Education Blog has reported on two reviews and a new study of acupuncture for insomnia; the evidence to support its use remains limited.
But a new government report shows that acupuncture is growing in popularity. The report examined the use of complimentary alternative medicine (CAM) in the U.S. in 2007.
It found an overall decrease in visits to CAM providers in 2007 compared with 1997; but visits to acupuncturists increased by three times. People in the U.S. made an estimated 17.6 million visits to acupuncturists in 2007.
Why is there a growing interest in acupuncture? The report outlined a few reasons.
First, more states now license this practice; as a result the number of licensed providers has increased in the last decade.
Insurance coverage for CAM therapies also has increased in recent years. And more media coverage of acupuncture has raised public awareness.
A 2006 study estimated that 1.6 million people in the U.S. use CAM to treat insomnia. It suggested that about 8.5 percent of these people use alternative medical systems such as acupuncture.Other proven treatments for insomnia are available. Both cognitive behavioral therapy and medications are effective. A board-certified sleep specialist can determine which treatment is best for you. Contact an AASM-accredited sleep disorders center if you have an ongoing problem with insomnia.
Acupuncture is a form of traditional Chinese medicine. It has been around for thousands of years. Can it be used to treat insomnia today?
A new scientific review takes a look at the evidence. The authors looked at 30 studies.
What did they find? Acupuncture improved some aspects of sleep in 93 percent of the studies.
But the quality of the studies varied greatly. Only a few studies compared acupuncture with an unreal, “sham” control treatment. These studies produced mixed results.
Most of the studies relied on subjective sleep reports. Few studies recorded objective sleep data.
Acupuncture techniques also varied greatly. This makes it hard to compare the results.
The authors conclude that acupuncture has potential as an insomnia treatment. But there is only limited evidence to support its use.
A 2006 study reports that the use of alternative treatments for insomnia is widespread. It estimated that 1.6 million people in the U.S. use complimentary alternative medicine (CAM) to treat insomnia.
The study indicates that about 8.5 percent of these people use alternative medical systems. This includes acupuncture.
A 2007 survey also reports that 1.4 percent of adults used acupuncture in the past 12 months. Use of acupuncture increased from 2002 to 2007.
The NCCAM reports that acupuncture is relatively safe. But the use of unsterile needles can cause an infection. An injury can occur if the treatment is provided improperly.
The FDA requires that acupuncture needles be made of solid, stainless steel. They must be sterile and labeled for single use only.
Other proven treatments for insomnia are available. Both cognitive behavioral therapy and medications are effective.
A board-certified sleep specialist can determine which treatment is best for you. Contact an AASM-accredited sleep disorders center if you have an ongoing problem with insomnia.Read an AASM review of common products used to treat insomnia.
Last year the Sleep Education Blog reported that acupuncture is growing in popularity in the U.S. One reason people receive acupuncture is for help with insomnia.
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