Auricular acupuncture for anxiety in health care volunteers: Randomized crossover study comparing real and sham needles

Introduction: Several reports in the literature indicate that auricular acupuncture/acupressure is effective for reducing anxiety in the perioperative period, during ambulance transport, and before dental treatment. Objective: The goal of this study was to assess the anxiolytic-sedative effect of ear acupuncture on health care volunteers, comparing the effect of real and sham needles in a randomized, single-blinded, crossover study. Methods: Twenty health care volunteers (11 males, 9 females, ages 24- 44, average 33.5 years) were enrolled and treated in a random order, twice 2 weeks apart, with real and sham needles. The needles were applied for 20 minutes and then removed. The anxiolytic effect was measured, before and after treatment, with a numeric rating scale (NRS) anxiety score and a State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-Y) State anxiety score. The sedative effect of acupuncture was scored with the Bispectral Index System (BIS) at baseline and during the treatment at 5, 10, 15, and 20 minutes. Results: When comparing real and sham conditions at baseline, there were no differences in NRS, STAI-Y, and BIS values. A significantly higher reduction of anxiety was, however, observed when applying real needles, both for NRS (p<0.01) and STAI-Y values (p<0.005). When comparing real and sham conditions, the BIS value did not vary after 5 minutes, but, after 10, 15, and 20 minutes, a significant decrease in anxiety was observed during the real-needle application. Conclusions: This study showed that real auricular, compared to sham auricular treatment, had a specific and measurable effect on state anxiety in health care volunteers. Further studies are needed for identifying the various zones of the auricle associated with anxiety