Acupuncture helps resolve anxiety disorders

A Portuguese study canvassed numerous clinical trials that used acupuncture and electroacupuncture to treat patients suffering from anxiety disorders. The systematic review found that both alternative medicinal methods were safe and effective means of treating all kinds of anxiety, including chronic anxiety.

The study received support from the Instituto de Medicina Integrativa. It was published in the journal Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice.

• Anxiety disorders comprise a considerable percentage of mental health cases around the world. While anxiety is worrisome enough on its own, it can develop into even more serious disorders if it goes untreated for long.
• Conventional treatment for anxiety involves pharmaceutical drugs and psychotherapy. However, both approaches suffer from limited effectiveness against chronic anxiety, high relapse rates, and serious side effects.
• Numerous clinical tests have shown that acupuncture and its electronic equivalent are able to improve patients with anxiety disorders. Furthermore, both methods achieved their effects with minimal negative side effects, especially when compared to anxiety treatment drugs and psychotherapy.
• The systematic review went through 1,135 research papers that covered the effectiveness of acupuncture and electroacupuncture as treatment modalities for anxiety disorders. Thirteen papers matched all of the requirement.
• The papers were analyzed based on design, methodology, and quality. The results of the analysis widely varied and were compared with each other.

Based on their findings, the researchers concluded that the effectiveness of acupuncture and electroacupuncture therapies as treatment modalities for anxiety is backed by strong scientific evidence found in various clinical trials.

To find out more about the ways acupuncture can help you deal with anxiety attacks, visit ChineseMedicine.news.

Journal Reference:

Amorim D, Amado J, Brito I, Fiuza SM, Amorim N, Costeira C, Machado J. ACUPUNCTURE AND ELECTROACUPUNCTURE FOR ANXIETY DISORDERS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE CLINICAL RESEARCH. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice. 2018;31:31–37. DOI: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2018.01.008