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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.
Last week the Sleep Education Blog reported on a recent review of acupuncture for insomnia. The Hong Kong researchers found that study results are “somewhat promising,” but inconclusive.
Now the same research team has published the results of their own study. It appears in today’s issue of the journal Sleep.
The study involved a community sample of 60 Chinese adults with a mean age of 48 years; 77 percent were women. They reported having insomnia three or more nights per week; their struggle with insomnia had been ongoing for an average of nine years.
Half of the group received electroacupuncture. Fine needles were inserted at special points of the body – called “acupoints.” This included locations on the head and ears.
Then an electric stimulator was connected to the needles, delivering a constant current. The authors report that electroacupuncture is considered to be more effective than manual acupuncture. It provides a stronger and more continuous stimulation; it causes less pain and tissue damage; it takes less time; and its effects are more rapid and longer lasting.
The other 30 adults were in a placebo group. They were treated at the same acupoints but with fake needles that did not puncture the skin. The blunt needle created a pricking sensation when it touched the skin; then part of the needle moved up inside the handle. The same electric stimulator was connected to the needles, but with zero frequency and amplitude.
Both groups received treatment three times a week for three weeks. For each session the needles were removed after 30 minutes.
Results show that electroacupuncture provided only a slight advantage compared with the placebo acupuncture. Both groups showed short-term improvements after one week.
For people in the electroacupuncture group, their total sleep time measured by actigraphy increased by only about four minutes. The time it took them to fall asleep decreased by almost 10 minutes. The amount of time they spent awake in bed during the night decreased by almost 12 minutes.
The authors noted that people in the study had insomnia symptoms that were relatively mild; so there was limited room for improvement.
Overall, the treatment was safe and well tolerated; but it was less effective than other insomnia treatments such as medications and cognitive behavioral therapy.The authors concluded that electroacupuncture is “potentially useful” for treating primary insomnia; but the benefits are still uncertain.
Is acupuncture an effective treatment for insomnia? In February the Sleep Education Blog reported on a scientific review of the evidence.
The researchers were from Emory University; they found that acupuncture has potential as an insomnia treatment. But there is only limited evidence to support its use.
A new review from Hong Kong provides another perspective. The review looked at both Chinese and English studies.
Data from 20 studies were analyzed; the studies compared traditional needle acupuncture against “benzodiazepines.” These hypnotic sedatives are one type of medication used to treat insomnia; but newer “nonbenzodiazepines” are more commonly used today.
The majority of the studies concluded that acupuncture was more effective than benzodiazepines. Acupuncture was effective at a rate of 91 percent; the rate for benzodiazepines was only 75 percent.
But like the Emory review, the Hong Kong review also found problems with the research. The studies were poorly designed.
The diagnostic procedures were imprecise; there also were problems with randomization and blinding.
The authors wrote that the study results are “somewhat promising.” But they were unable to make a clear conclusion about the benefits of acupuncture for insomnia.Contact an AASM-accredited sleep disorders center if you have an ongoing problem with insomnia. Effective treatment options include cognitive behavioral therapy and medications.
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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