Treating anxiety with acupuncture

Abstract

Aim: This literature review evaluates the efficacy of acupuncture therapy for problematic anxiety. Background: Anxiety is a universal emotional response to the subjective experience of stress. Intensity and duration are modulated by both individual and external factors and in everyday functioning, anxiety is normal, manageable and adaptive. Overestimation of risk or excess environmental pressure intensifies anxiety, altering its character to morbid, disabling and maladaptive through a range of neurological processes and distressing symptoms. Problematic anxiety affects around 15% of human beings and the impact on various domains, such as work and family, is enormous. Standard treatments often fail to completely redress the disorder due to partial efficacy, chronic residual symptoms, side-effects, poor patient compliance or relapse despite adequate compliance. It is thus worthwhile to consider innovative alternatives such as acupuncture, underpinned by millennia of accumulated knowledge and rapidly evolving research. Methodology: Searches were conducted on major databases. The references of systematic reviews and identified studies were examined. 25 randomised controlled trials published in English between 2001 and 2016 were selected. The revised Standards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials of Acupuncture were used to critically evaluate the included studies. Findings: Results confirmed the outcomes of previous research. Acupuncture is an effective treatment for anxiety, comparable to other treatments. Significant variations in needling techniques, incomplete reporting of methodological details and the absence of double blinding emerged in a significant number of trials. Conclusions: The origin and character of acupuncture, in particular its holistic, creative and versatile approach to individual needs makes it an exceptional and safe treatment for anxiety. The same characteristics provide challenges to current research methods primarily due to a lack of standardised techniques and unreliable blinding procedures. New research should respect the nature of acupuncture and delve into the factors that instigate successful personalised treatment packages.