J. Acupunct. Tuina. Sci.

2010, 8 (1): 26-28

DOI: 10.1007/s11726-010-0026-7

Special Topic Study

Observation on Therapeutic Effects of Acupuncture

Treatment for Insomnia
JIANG Yu (
)
No.1 Hospital Affiliated to Guiyang College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guizhou 550000, P. R. China

:
51

:
:
P 0.01

45
94.1%

96

2
2
77.7%

Abstract Objective: To observe the therapeutic effects of acupuncture treatment for

insomnia. Methods: Ninety-six patients with insomnia were divided into two groups by their
visit order, 51 cases in the treatment group managed by acupuncture treatment, and 45 cases in
the control group managed by oral administration of Estazolam tablets. After two weeks of
treatment, the therapeutic effects were compared. Results: The total effective rate was 94.1% in
the treatment group and 77.7% in the control group, and the difference was statistically
significant in comparison of the therapeutic effects between the two groups (P<0.01).
Conclusion: Acupuncture treatment is better than oral administration of Estazolam tablets for
insomnia.
Key Words Insomnia; Acupuncture Therapy; Estazolam
CLC Number R246.6
Document Code A
Insomnia is a common and frequently
encountered disease in the clinic and is mostly
treated by sedatives and hypnotics in modern
medicine. Although it works fast, the long-term
administration will lead to side-effects of drug
tolerance, dependence and addiction. The author has
treated this disease by acupuncture clinically. The
report is given as follows.

discomfort and fatigue after waking up or lassitude

in the daytime;
the above sleeping disturbance
occurs at least 3 times every week and lasts
continuously for over one month;
Insomnia
leads to obvious distress, or decline in mental or
social activities; and
it does not belong to any
part of the symptoms of the body or mental
disturbances.

1 Clinical Materials

1.2 Inclusion criteria

In conformity with the above diagnostic
criteria,
those with no current use of
psychological drugs or those who have stopped over
the last two weeks,
those without severe somatic
diseases, neurological diseases or other mental
disorders.

1.1 Diagnostic criteria

By reference to the criteria for insomnia in
Chinese Classification of Mental Disorders
the sleeping disturbance is
(CCMD-2-R) [1],
almost the only symptom, and other symptoms are
secondary to insomnia, including difficulty falling
asleep, light sleeping, easy waking, dreamful sleep,
difficulty falling asleep again after waking,
Author: JIANG Yu (1958- ), female, associate chief physician
26

1.3 General materials

All of the 96 cases of the outpatients in
conformity to the inclusive criteria were divided

Shanghai Research Institute of Acupuncture and Meridian and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2010

J. Acupunct. Tuina. Sci. 2010, 8 (1): 26-28

into the 2 groups by their visit orders, 51 cases in

the treatment group, including 18 males and 33
females, with the age ranging from 22 to 64 years
and the duration ranging from 3 months to 6 years.
Forty-five cases in the control group, including 21
males and 24 females, with the age ranging from 17
to 58 years and the duration ranging from 1 month
to 5 years. The gender, age and duration between
the two groups were not statistically significant and
were comparable.

2 Therapeutic Methods
2.1 Treatment group
Acupoints: Baihui (GV 20), Sishencong (ExHN 1), Shenmen (HT 7), Neiguan (PC 6), Taixi (KI
3), Shenmai (BL 62), Zhaohai (KI 6), and
Sanyinjiao (SP 6).
Operation: After the patient took a supine
position to expose the needling site and disinfection
was given, filiform needles of
0.35 mm in
diameter and 25 mm in length were inserted swiftly
and then manipulated by the lifting, thrusting,
twisting and rotating techniques, with the tonifying
technique applied on Baihui (GV 20), Sishencong
(Ex-HN 1), Neiguan (PC 6) and Shenmen (HT 7),
and the reducing technique on Zhaohai (KI 6),
Sanyinjiao (SP 6) and Taixi (KI 3). The needles
were retained for 15 min and manipulated once
during the retaining of the needles. The treatment
was given once every day.
2.2 Control Group
Estazolam
tablet
(Chifeng
Mengxing
Pharmaceuticals. LTD) 1 mg, oral administration
half an hour before going to bed, once every day.
In the above two groups, two-week treatments
made one course. The therapeutic effects were
evaluated after one course.
3 Observation of Therapeutic Effects
3.1 Therapeutic effects criteria
Designed by reference to the assessment of
clinical effects on insomnia stipulated in Guiding
Principles for Clinical Study of New Chinese
Medicines[2].

Clinical cure: The sleeping times are restored

to normal or are more than 6 h per night, with sound
sleep, and the patient is energetic after waking up.
Remarkable effect: Sleeping
is
noticeably
improved, and the sleeping time has increased by
more than 3 h, with increased sound sleep.
Effect: The symptoms are relieved and the
sleeping time has increased by less than 3 h.
Failure:
No obvious improvement after
treatment or insomnia is aggravated.
3.2 Therapeutic results
After the treatment for one course, the total
effective rate was 94.1% in the treatment group and
77.7% in the control group. By Wilicoxon-MannWhitney test, U=696.0, Z= -3.489 bilateral test
P=0.000. The differences between the two groups
were statistically significant and the therapeutic
effects were better in the treatment group than in the
control group (table 1).
Table 1. Comparison of therapeutic effects between two
groups (Cases)
Groups

n Cure

Remarkable
Effect

Effect Failure

Total
effective
rate (%)

Treatment 51

28

14

94.11)

Control

11

13

11

10

77.7

45

Note: Compared with the control group, P<0.01

3.3 Case study

A patient, female, 31 year old, bank staff, first
visit on Nov. 10, 2007.
Chief complaint and history of present illness:
Insomnia for over 1 year, no any effect from
administration of sleeping pills, difficulty in falling
asleep, disturbed by dreams and easily woken up,
difficulty in falling asleep after waking up, low
spirit. Recently, the symptoms were aggravated,
accompanied by palpitation, dizziness, dreams,
vexation, poor appetite, 2-3 h sleep at night.
Treated by the above acupuncture, one week later
the patient subjectively felt as though it was not as
difficult to fall asleep as before, and could sleep
more than 4 h every night, and dizziness and
vexation were noticeably relieved. After one course,
sleeping was improved gradually, with sound sleep
and fewer dreams, and the patient could sleep more
than 6 h every night, felt energetic after waking up,
and had a good appetite. Other clinical symptoms

Shanghai Research Institute of Acupuncture and Meridian and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2010

27

J. Acupunct. Tuina. Sci. 2010, 8 (1): 26-28

completely disappeared, and no recurrence was

noticed after the follow up half a year later.

4 Discussion
Insomnia belongs to the scope of poor sleep in
traditional Chinese medicine and is mainly
characterized by difficulty in falling asleep,
dreamful sleep and easy waking, difficulty falling
asleep again after waking, and sleepless throughout
the night in severe condition. The physiological
theory about sleep is explained in Ling Shu
(Spiritual Pivot). Normal sleep results from natural
and regular transformation of yin and yang in the
human body. If this rule is sabotaged, insomnia will
occur, and its basic pathological change will be
related to the dysfunction between yin and yang,
failure of yang joining into yin, and disharmony
between yin and yang due to various reasons. It is
also believed in Chinese medicine that the heart
belongs to fire (yang) and stays in the upper body
part and the kidney belongs to water (yin) and stays
in the lower body part.
Water should be able to go up and fire should be
able to come down. The heart fire in the upper part
(yang) should come down to the kidney and the
kidney water (yin) in the lower part should go
upward to nourish the heart. It is pointed out in FU
Qing-zhu Nv Ke (FU Qing-zhus Obstetrics and
Gynecology) published in the Qing Dynasty that the
coordinative balance could only be maintained by
mutual communication of water and fire between
the heart and kidney and harmony between yin and
yang. Acupuncture is able to regulate yin and yang
of the human body. In treating insomnia by
acupuncture therapy, deficiency can be corrected
and the surplus can be reduced by regulating yin
and yang and communicating with the heart and
kidney, so as to realize the status of "even yin and
normal yang" in the human body.
The brain is the "house of the primary spirit", a
site of convergence of the essential qi and is related
to the mental and spiritual activities of the human
body. Baihui (GV 20) and Sishencong (Ex-HN 1)
are located on the head. By the reducing technique,
they are used to regulate the meridian qi of the brain
and guide yang into yin to restore the balance
between yin and yang[3]. Shenmen (HT 7) is a
28

Yuan-Primary point of the Heart Meridian, for the

heart stores the spirit and mind, and can be used to
soothe the heart and calm down the mind. Neiguan
(PC 6), a Luo-Connecting point of the Pericardium
Meridian diverges to the Triple Energizer Meridian
and links with the Yin Link Vessel, so can give the
effect of nourishing the heart and calming down the
mind. Shenmen (HT 7) can be used to smooth the
circulation of heart blood, so as to decrease heart
fire and calm down the mind to aid sleep. Taixi
(KI 3) is a Yuan-Primary point of the Kidney
Meridian and is combined with Shenmen (HT 7) for
to aid communication between the heart and kidney,
so as to support water and fire mutually and balance
yin and yang. By applying the reinforcing and
reducing needling technique on Shenmai (BL 62)
and Zhaohai (KI 6), yin and yang meridian qi of the
Yin and Yang Heal Vessels can be regulated and
restored. Sanyinjiao (SP 6) is an intersecting point
of the three yin meridians of the foot and can be
used to regulate the three yin meridians for calming
down the spirit. When the above acupoints are
combined, the effects include suppression of heart
yang, nourishment of yin and benefits to the kidney,
guiding yang into yin, and increasing
communication between the heart and kidney.
Judging from the clinical effects in the group,
acupuncture therapy for insomnia is highly effective
and safe, and can improve sleeping conditions
significantly, proving better than hypnotic sedative
or Estazolam tablets. Furthermore, a acupuncture
does not cause any side-effects, dependence or
addiction, and needs to be popularized clinically.

References
[1] HU Guo-chen. Clinical Psychiatry in Chinese and Western
Medicine. Beijing: China Press of Traditional Chinese
Medicine, 1998: 342-343.
[2] Ministry of Health of the Peoples Republic of China.
Guiding Principles for Clinical Study of New Chinese
Medicines. Beijing: Peoples Medical Publishing House,
1993: 186.
[3] YAN Xing-ke, YANG Bo, GAO Yang, et al. Observations
on the Efficacy of "Needling Method for Tranqumization
and Calming the Mind" for Insomnia Patients. Lishizhen
Medicine and Materia Medica Research, 2009, 20(8):
2004-2005.
Translator: HUANG Guo-qi (

Received Date: December 8, 2009

Shanghai Research Institute of Acupuncture and Meridian and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2010