Acupuncture for posttraumatic stress disorder: a randomized controlled pilot trial

Hollifield, M.

Sinclair-Lian, N.

Warner, T. D.

Hammerschlag, R.

The Journal of nervous and mental disease

2007

195(6)

504-513

RCT

Acu Versus > 1 Control

Acupuncture

Attention Control

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Ear Seeds

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

RCT

Restricted Modalities, Acupuncture Only

Semi-Individualized Acupuncture Protocol

Stress, Psychological

TCM Acupuncture Style

Wait-List Control

Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic

Mental Disorders

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the potential efficacy and acceptability of accupuncture for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). People diagnosed with PTSD were randomized to either an empirically developed accupuncture treatment (ACU), a group cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), or a wait-list control (WLC). The primary outcome measure was self-reported PTSD symptoms at baseline, end treatment, and 3-month follow-up. Repeated measures MANOVA was used to detect predicted Group X Time effects in both intent-to-treat (ITT) and treatment completion models. Compared with the WLC condition in the ITT model, accupuncture provided large treatment effects for PTSD (F [1, 46] = 12.60; p < 0.01; Cohen's d = 1.29), similar in magnitude to group CBT (F [1, 47] = 12.45; p < 0.01; d = 1.42) (ACU vs. CBT, d = 0.29). Symptom reductions at end treatment were maintained at 3-month follow-up for both interventions. Accupuncture may be an efficacious and acceptable nonexposure treatment option for PTSD. Larger trials with additional controls and methods are warranted to replicate and extend these findings

Mental Disorders

>1/WK

84

12 Weeks