Is there a role for acupuncture in mental illness?

There are Chinese studies on the treatment of mental illness with acupuncture. Unfortunately, the methodological quality of these studies is very poor. The majority are uncontrolled and do not meet the ‘gold standard’ of research for evaluating treatments, which is the randomized control trial. In the West, there have been a number of studies in the field of addiction: smoking, opiate and alcohol dependence and abuse.

There appears to be a role for the use of acupuncture in the treatment of addiction. The use of acupuncture should be with a specific aim, for example to reduce craving for the addictive substance. Electro-acupuncture may have a useful role to play in the treatment of anxiety and depression and addiction. There is some evidence that electro-acupuncture (depending on the frequency of the current) modulates neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin in the brain.

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