Acupuncture helps Post-Stroke Insomnia

Acupuncture helps post-stroke insomnia and may be more effective than drugs, according to a systematic review by Chinese authors. Their meta-analysis included 41 trials and 3263 patients. Compared with drug therapy, acupuncture was associated with greater improvements in sleep, and a better sleep index score, both immediately and three months after treatment. Side effects for acupuncture were minor and rarely reported.

The authors conclude that the evidence suggests acupuncture may be more effective in treating post-stroke insomnia than drugs. It also appears to have a good safety profile and more long-term benefits.

(Acupuncture treatment for post-stroke insomnia: A systematic review & meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, August 2021.)

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.