Acupuncture For Anxiety
A highly persuasive pilot study concluded that acupuncture may be effective for hyperventilation anxiety. In a single-blind, crossover, pilot study involving 10 patients diagnosed with hyperventilation syndrome (HVS). Furthermore, More recent studies (such as in 2021) also show the benefits of acupuncture for anxiety. It’s clear what used to be considered as fringe treatment for anxiety has turned mainstream-supported.Regarding the pilot study on acupuncture for hyperventilation anxiety, it consisted of a chronic, episodic condition involving a wide variety of symptoms including deep and labored breathing, chest pain, paresthesias, and anxiety, among others – treatment with acupuncture twice a week for a period of 4 weeks was found to significantly improve anxiety associated with HVS (as assessed via the Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) Scale) and other symptoms of HVS (as assessed via the Nijmegen questionnaire), more effectively than conventional treatment with physiotherapy which involved breathing retraining.
The subjects received both acupuncture and breathing retraining – each for a 4 week period – in a crossover design with a 1 week washout period in between the two interventions. Results found that after receiving acupuncture, there was a significantly greater reduction in anxiety and improvement in the HAD Scale and the Nijmegan scores, compared to the results after the breathing retraining. Among the subjects who received acupuncture as the first intervention, the reduction in anxiety persisted throughout the washout period, suggesting that there may have been some carryover effect from the acupuncture treatment.
The results of this preliminary study suggest that acupuncture may be a safe and viable treatment option for patients experiencing HVS. The authors conclude that this study “provides the basis for a larger, sufficiently powered and methodologically sound trial.”
George Mandler
Licensed Acupuncturist & Nutritionist Dietitian
Acupuncture, Chinese Medicine, & Nutrition
Boston, Jamaica Plain, Brookline, Massachusetts