Thursday, August 04, 2016

Acupuncture Relieves Post-Stroke Anxiety & Depression


Acupuncture relieves anxiety and depression experienced by stroke patients. Researchers from the Shanghai University of TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) investigated the efficacy of acupuncture and medications for the treatment of post-stroke anxiety and depression. The SSRI (serotonin reuptake inhibitor drug sertraline demonstrated a 73.3% total efficacy rate. Conventional acupuncture achieved an 80% total effective rate. Another group received a treatment protocol of Sun Si-Miao’s ghost acupoints combined with sertraline. The combination group achieved a 93.3% total effective rate. The researchers concluded that the combination of acupuncture with drug therapy is safe and effective for the treatment of anxiety and depression due to post-stroke syndrome.

Sertraline is an antidepressant used for the treatment of depression, panic attacks, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Common side effects include drowsiness, dizziness, nausea, insomnia, decreased libido, inability to have an orgasm, constipation, and stomach pain. The group receiving sertraline received dosages ranging between 25 and 75 mg/day based on the condition and severity of side effects.

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