A recent randomized, double-blind study concludes that both auricular acupuncture and body acupuncture are effective in reducing pre and post-operative anxiety. Pre and post-perative anxiety has been identified in approximately 80 percent of patients, which prompted this investigation. The study was conducted by experienced acupuncturists at the Xi Jing Hosptial (Xi’an, China).
The ear acupuncture group received needle stimulation at point ear Shenmen. The body acupuncture group received needle stimulation at Du20, SiShenCong, Yin Tang, Liv3, and St36. The needles were 0.25-.30 mm in diameter and ranged between 25-40 mm in length. Needle depth ranged from 0.2 cm to 0.5 cm. Acupuncture therapy was administered for a period of four weeks at two sessions per week for a total of eight acupuncture treatments. The treatment principles were to increase lucidity, tranquilize by nourishing the Heart, calm the nerves, and regulate the Qi.
Reference:
Shengjun Wu, Jie Liang, Xia Zhu, Xufeng Liu, Danmin Miao. “Comparing the treatment effectiveness of body acupuncture and auricular acupuncture in preoperative anxiety treatment.” JRMS 2010; 16(1): 39-42.
