Review of auricular acupuncture for insomnia
 Prof. Ernst and colleagues reviewed the effectiveness of acupuncture administered to the ear to treat sleeplessness.
First, the details.
- Among 433 articles, 10 were worth reviewing.
And, the results.
Magnetic pellets auricular acupuncture (AA) vs placebo AA in 3 studies
- Results suggest beneficial effects on sleep efficiency compared to placebo AA.
Needle AA vs placebo AA in 1 study
- No effectiveness of AA.
Semen vaccariae (Wang bu liu xing) or magnetic pellet AA vs conventional drugs (estazolam or diazepam) in 4 studies.
- Favorable effects for AA were found.
- Info on semen vaccariae is here.
Thumbtack needle AA vs. no treatment in 2 studies
- Beneficial effects of AA on a sleep score reported.
The bottom line?
Yes, there are some positive studies.
But the authors concluded, “because of the paucity and … poor quality of the data, … rigorously designed trials are warranted to confirm these results.”
8/31/08 09:19 JR