The effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for depression: An overview of meta-analyses

Li, Meixuan; Niu, Junqiang; Yan, Peijing; Yao, Liang; He, Wenbo; Wang, Meng; Li, Huijuan; Cao, Liping; Li, Xiuxia; Shi, Xiue; Liu, Xingrong; Yang, Kehu

doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2019.102202

Cited by 55 publications

(48 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…As of March 2019, there were at least 31 systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses (SRs/MAs) regarding acupuncture treatment for depression. 41 As of September 2018, there were at least 34 SRs/MAs regarding acupuncture treatment for insomnia. 30 Although the included primary randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are less than well-powered and have some methodological flaws, the available evidence is in favor of acupuncture's effectiveness and safety, and supports it as a monotherapy or adjuvant therapy for patients with depression or insomnia, particularly those who are intolerant to Western medications.…”

Section: Effects and Safety Of Acupuncture On Depression And Insomniamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…30 Although the included primary randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are less than well-powered and have some methodological flaws, the available evidence is in favor of acupuncture's effectiveness and safety, and supports it as a monotherapy or adjuvant therapy for patients with depression or insomnia, particularly those who are intolerant to Western medications. 30,41 In China, acupuncture has even been added as a routine remedy in the latest Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Insomnia formulated by the Chinese Sleep Research Society (CSRS). 30 The clinical guidelines issued by the Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) Depression Work Group recommended acupuncture as a third-line treatment with "Level 2 Evidence" for the adjunctive treatment of mild-to-moderate depression.…”

Section: Effects and Safety Of Acupuncture On Depression And Insomniamentioning

confidence: 99%

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Acupuncture: A Promising Approach for Comorbid Depression and Insomnia in Perimenopause

Zhao¹,

Fu²,

Spencer³

et al. 2021

NSS

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Comorbid depression and insomnia are ubiquitous mental complaints among women going through the perimenopausal stage of life and can result in major decline in quality of life. Antidepressive agents combined with/without hypnotics, and/or hormone therapy are currently the most common treatment for perimenopausal depression (PMD) and insomnia (PMI). Balancing the benefits of these pharmacotherapies against the risk of adverse events (AEs) is a difficult task for both clinicians and women. There has been a growing body of research regarding the utilization of acupuncture for treatment of PMD or PMI, whereas no studies of acupuncture for comorbid PMD and PMI have appeared. In this review, we summarize the clinical and preclinical evidence of acupuncture as a treatment for PMD or PMI, and then discuss the potential mechanisms involved and the role of acupuncture in helping women during this transition. Most clinical trials indicate that acupuncture ameliorates not only PMD/PMI but also climacteric symptoms with minimal AEs. It also regulates serum hormone levels. The reliability of trials is however limited due to methodological flaws in most studies. Rodent studies suggest that acupuncture prolongs total sleep time and reduces depression-like behavior in PMI and PMD models, respectively. These effects are possibly mediated through multiple mechanisms of action, including modulating sex hormones, neurotransmitters, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis/hypothalamic-pituitary-ovary axis, oxidative stress, signaling pathways, and other cellular events. In conclusion, acupuncture is a promising therapeutic strategy for comorbid depression and insomnia during perimenopause. Neuroendocrine modulation is likely to play a major role in mediating those effects. High-quality trials are required to further validate acupuncture's effectiveness.

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Section: Effects and Safety Of Acupuncture On Depression And Insomniamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Effects and Safety Of Acupuncture On Depression And Insomniamentioning

confidence: 99%

Acupuncture: A Promising Approach for Comorbid Depression and Insomnia in Perimenopause

Zhao¹,

Fu²,

Spencer³

et al. 2021

NSS

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Throughout the evolution of acupuncture, pain was relieved by causing pain in another area by evolution methods of stones, bones, bamboo, iron, silver, gold, and now currently stainless steel in the acupuncture that we think of today (41). After acupuncture was introduced to places outside of China and started to gain popularity, many studies have been conducted to determine if there is a benefit in the use of acupuncture in things such as urinary tract infections, neuropathic pain, peripheral neuropathy, hip osteoarthritis, cerebellum balancing, allergic rhinitis, treatment of hypolactation, depression, gynecological conditions, migraine, chronic prostatitis, and post stroke spastic hemiplegia (2,(45)(46)(47)(48)(49)(50)(51)(52)(53)(54)(55)(56).…”

Section: Acupuncturementioning

confidence: 99%

Efficacy of Dry Needling and Acupuncture in the Treatment of Neck Pain

et al. 2021

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Context: Neck pain is a common phenomenon and affects a large segment of the population. Chronic neck pain, lasting more than 3 months, likely occurs in 10% - 30% of patients with acute neck pain and affects up to 288 million cases globally, carrying a significant cost in terms of quality of life, disability, and healthcare dollars. Here we review neck pain background, acupuncture and the evidence that exist to support acupuncture use in chronic neck pain. Results: Neck pain not only affects quality of life directly, but also contributes to depression, job dissatisfaction and reduced productivity. Unfortunately, neck pain is strongly linked to office and computer work and is likely to continue increasing in prevalence. Traditional treatments, such as analgesics, physical therapy, exercise, and non-invasive therapy bring some relief, and invasive therapy is indicated if anatomical pathologies exist. Acupuncture is a form of integrative medicine, originally described and practiced in traditional Chinese medicine and now expanded to include methods including acupressure, dry needling, and others. Traditionally, it focused on restoring the patient’s flow of Qi by puncturing specific points along the meridians. It has previously been shown to be effective in other forms of chronic pain and disability. Clinical trials studying acupuncture for neck pain have shown significant reduction in both pain and associated symptoms. These therapies are reviewed in this text. Conclusions: Neck pain is a common and significant global problem. Acupuncture, dry needling, and cupping were all shown to be effective in alleviating pain both immediately after treatment, as well as provide long-lasting relief. These treatments are generally safe and inexpensive and should be considered as part of a multimodal approach for the treatment of neck pain. More head-to-head studies will provide better data to support a choice of a specific treatment over another.

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“…Since the rise of acupuncture therapy, the clinical application for depression is very popular, many studies proved that acupuncture can relieve symptoms of depression. 2 However, the instant effects and central treatment mechanism of acupuncture remain unclear. With the rapid development of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI), many studies have revealed various changes of function in brain regions of patients with depression.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Instant and Sustained Effect of Electroacupuncture in Postgraduate Students with Depression: An fMRI Study

Wei¹,

Chen²,

Guo³

et al. 2021

NDT

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Objection: This study was a primary study to evaluate the instant and sustained effect of electroacupuncture (EA) at GV20 (Baihui) in postgraduate students with mild depression by using a special flexible head coil. Methods: A total of 20 postgraduate students with mild depression underwent EA stimulation at GV20 and 3 phases of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) scanning. Phase I: Preparation (before needle insertion); Phase II: during EA; Phase III: 15 minutes after needle removal. The Rs-fMRI data were processed using DPABI and SPSS 25. Results: 1) ReHo values showed significantly differences in the right posterior cingulate cortex, right calcarine gyrus, right angular gyrus, right precuneus, right cuneus, and bilateral postcentral gyri among Phase I, Phase II and Phase III; 2) Relative to the Phase I, increased brain activity in the Phase II was observed in the bilateral postcentral gyri, right calcarine gyrus, right cuneus. Compared with the Phase II, decreased brain activity in the Phase III was observed in the right precuneus, right posterior cingulate cortex, right angular gyrus. Relative to the Phase I, Significantly increased brain activity in the Phase III was observed in the right calcarine gyrus, right cuneus, and bilateral postcentral gyri. While decreased ReHo values were found in the right posterior cingulate cortex, right angular gyrus, right precuneus; and 3) Correlation analysis showed that the ReHo values of multiple brain regions in Phase I and Phase III were significantly correlated with the VAS and HRSD-17 scores. Conclusion: This study focuses on the instant and sustained effect in postgraduate students with depression. Our study showed that instant effect produced by EA stimulation at GV20 firstly induced changes in somatosensory and visual area, and then, sustained effect (Phase III) have a higher intensity and more extensive than instant effects. Meanwhile, we provide a visualization way to study the instant effects of head acupoints by using a flexible head coil.

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The effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for depression: An overview of meta-analyses

Cited by 55 publications

References 32 publications

Acupuncture: A Promising Approach for Comorbid Depression and Insomnia in Perimenopause

Acupuncture: A Promising Approach for Comorbid Depression and Insomnia in Perimenopause

Efficacy of Dry Needling and Acupuncture in the Treatment of Neck Pain

The Instant and Sustained Effect of Electroacupuncture in Postgraduate Students with Depression: An fMRI Study

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