A pilot study undertaken in Germany, has shown that ear acupuncture can help to reduce pre-exam anxiety in medical students. Ten students were given a simple ear acupuncture treatment the day before their anatomy exams. The needles were of a special design such that they could be left in place, and only removed after the exam. Anxiety levels were found to have decreased by almost 20% after acupuncture. The authors comment that all of the students tolerated the needles well and stated they would wish to receive acupuncture again for exam anxiety in the future.
(Auricular acupuncture for pre-exam anxiety in medical students: a prospective observational pilot investigation. Acupuncture in Medicine, October 2015.)