American researchers have found that a course of acupuncture can significantly and persistently reduce stress among university students and staff. They looked at 111 individuals with high self-reported stress levels, who worked or studied at a large urban university in the south-western United States. Participants were recruited via GPs, flyers and the university health department website. They were randomly allocated to receive either acupuncture or sham acupuncture once a week for 12 weeks. While both groups showed a substantial initial decrease in perceived stress scores, 3 months after treatment the true acupuncture group showed a significantly greater treatment effect (40% decrease on pre-treatment stress score) than the sham group (24% decrease).
(Effectiveness of Acupuncture Therapy on Stress in a Large Urban College Population. Journal of Acupuncture & Meridian Studies, June 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.
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