title: Curative effect of acupuncture and moxibustion on insomnia: a randomized clinical trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the effect of acupuncture and moxibustion on insomnia and explore its mechanism.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and twenty patients were randomly divided into an experiment group and a control group. Sixty patients in the experiment group were treated once a day with acupuncture at Baihui (GV 20), Sishencong (EX-HN 1), Shenmai (BL 62), and Zhaohai (KI 6) and with moxibustion at Baihui (GV 20) and Sishencong (EX-HN 1). Sixty patients in the control group were acupunctured once a day at Shenmen (HT 7), Neiguan (PC 6), and Sanyinjiao (SP 6).The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to compare sleep improvement between the two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The total effective rate was 87.7% in the experiment group and 76.3% in the control group. The PSQI scores and the total score were lower after treatment than before treatment in both groups. However, the reduction in the experiment group was greater than that in the control group in sleeping quality, time to fall asleep, sleeping disorder, and daytime function (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Acupuncture and moxibustion at Baihui (GV 20), Sishencong (EX-HN 1), Shenmai (BL 62), and Zhaohai (KI 6) significantly improved insomnia symptoms in the experiment group compared with the control group.
authors.affiliation: College of Acupuncture and Massage, Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450008, China. gaoxiyan@yeah.net
authors.forename: Xiyan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Cuixiang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Peiyu
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Shan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Yanli
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Xuguang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D015669:Acupuncture Points; D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009071:Moxibustion; D012890:Sleep; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*