Acupuncture for Gastro-Oesophageal Reflux Disease

A systematic review conducted by researchers in the US and China, suggests acupuncture for gastro-oesophageal reflux disease is a safe and effective treatment option. A total of 12 studies involving 1235 patients were included in the analysis. Patients given acupuncture combined with standard western medication, demonstrated superior overall symptom improvement compared with those receiving standard medication alone. When it came to patients who had only received either acupuncture alone or medication alone, overall symptom improvements was similar for both groups, but recurrence rates were lower in the acupuncture group. The authors add that descriptive analyses suggest acupuncture also improves patients’ quality of life, but that further studies are needed.

(Acupuncture for the treatment of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Acupuncture in Medicine, 2017.)

Author: Robin Costello

I offer traditional Chinese acupuncture in Exeter, from a tranquil clinic a mile from the city centre, and next to the University of Exeter. I graduated originally from the London School of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine’s 3 year full time Acupuncture Diploma (DipAc) course. I am on the practitioners register of the British Acupuncture Council (MBAcC), a regulatory and professional body with an entry standard of a full three year undergraduate degree level training. I have worked in a hospital in south west China, deepening my knowledge and using acupuncture and Chinese massage (tuina) as the treatment of choice in its country of origin. I have taught Chinese medicine in colleges, the NHS and at university level. I also practise Qi Gong, and Chinese dietary therapy, that is the medicinal use of ordinary foods, chosen to help achieve particular therapeutic effects in different individuals.