In this study, the authors reported on the long-term (up to 1 year) outcomes of acupuncture as a primary and independent treatment in patients with insomnia. The patient was evaluated with polysomnography. In this study, the diagnosis of chronic insomnia was based on the International Classification of Sleep Disorders insomnia. The patient had no obvious differential diagnosis. Acupuncture treatment was planned for this patient who refused to take medical treatment with chronic insomnia. So the patient received 1 hour of acupuncture treatment for 12 weeks. Polysomnographic evaluation was performed at baseline and 3 months, and 1 year after acupuncture treatment. He was asked to keep a diary of all his insomnia-related symptoms. All outcome measures substantially improved. Moreover, during the observation period, the patient's sleep quality did not worsen. The authors conclude that acupuncture is a viable therapy for chronic insomnia.

References

(1) Zhang W, et al. Acupuncture as a primary and independent treatment in chronic insomnia. Medicine (Baltimore). 2017;96(52):e9471.