Acupuncture for Chronic Stress: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Objective: The growth in instances of illness related to chronic stress nowadays is worrying, and relevant treatment is vital, and safe therapies with no side effects, like acupuncture, are being sought more and more. This study intends to identify and outline the evidence available from randomized clinical trials, as well as systematic reviews, with the objective to test the efficacy of acupuncture in the treatment of chronic stress. It is also our purpose to identify the mechanics behind the use of acupuncture for this purpose and, in this way, contribute to a better understanding and acceptance of this complementary therapy.

Method: Research has been carried out within the databases of both Pubmed and Cochrane for articles published between 2011 and 2021. The terms used were acupuncture and chronic stress.

Results: 53 studies were found through Pubmed and 66 through Cochrane, and from these, 6 were selected and analyzed.

Conclusion: The potential mechanism involved in the response to treatment has been identified. However, the studies selected and analyzed were not sufficient to prove evidence that acupuncture is effective in the treatment for chronic stress.