HealthCMi reports that acupuncture can effectively treat insomnia.
Acupuncture is an effective treatment for the relief of insomnia. Two independent research teams from the Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine found acupuncture over 90% effective for the treatment of insomnia. In addition, Li et al. found an important biochemical basis for the efficaciousness of acupuncture in the treatment of insomnia. GB14 and Yintang are needled on a woman’s forehead in this picture.
Li et al. conducted an investigation and determined that acupuncture increases biochemical concentrations that benefit sleep. Acupuncture increases the concentration of gama-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in cerebrospinal fluid and increases bodily serotonin (5-HT) levels. Serotonin is involved in the regulation of many bodily functions including appetite, cognitive function, mood, and sleep. GABA is a neurotransmitter that produces inhibitory responses to postsynaptic neurons in the adult brain.
In one of two recent investigations at the Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, researchers tested two acupuncture insomnia treatment protocols. One protocol, called Tiao Shen, achieved a 93.3% total effective rate for the treatment of insomnia. The second treatment protocol, a standardized form of body style acupuncture, achieved a 73.3% total effective rate. Sixty patients were randomized into two equal groups in a semi-protocolized trial.
