Widely known for its therapeutic effects, acupuncture is increasingly appreciated for its ability to maintain health and provide preventive action against a wide range of diseases. A new study that demonstrates the promise of acupuncture as an adjunctive treatment for the psychological and pain symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following a natural disaster was published as part of a special issue on Acupuncture for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention "In the peer-reviewed journal" Medical Acupuncture ".
The article, “A Scoping Study on Acupuncture in Earthquake-Related PTSD: The Experience of the Lombard Association of Medical Acupuncturists / Acupuncture Worldwide, Amatrice, Central Italy,” was co-authored by Carlo Moiraghi M. D., Paola Poli, M. D. the Lombardy Acupuncture Association (Milan, Italy) and Antonio Piscitelli, MD, of the School of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (Milan, Italy).
Researchers studied the effects of acupuncture on victims of the magnitude 6 earthquake in Amatrice in central Italy, which killed about 300 people and left 30,000 homeless. The acupuncturists were led by two medical associations: the Lombard Medical Acupuncturists Association (ALMA) and Acupuncture Worldwide (AGOM).
Treatment was carried out by physicians with at least 3 years of clinical experience with acupuncture. Each subject received four 20-minute acupuncture sessions over several consecutive days. Prior to acupuncture procedures, more than 68% of study participants reported both pain and psychological symptoms that could be associated with PTSD. After the third course of treatment, pain and psychological symptoms were significantly reduced without serious side effects associated with treatment.
In the editorial "Prevention at the heart of acupuncture," Nadia Wolf, MD, of the University of Paris, writes: "While acupuncture can be a great tool for treating a number of diseases, it can be an even more wonderful tool for preventing them."
Author: Evgeny Gordeev