Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials of Acupuncture versus Western Medicine in the Treatment of Insomnia

Abstract

To evaluate the clinical effect and effectiveness of acupuncture therapy in the treatment of insomnia patients, so as to provide better evidence based services, benefit patients and promote it in clinical practice. Chinese databases were searched: China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Scientific Journals Full text Database, Wanfang data knowledge service platform; English databases were searched: PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase. Stata 15.1 and RevMan 5.4.1 software were used for statistical analysis. A total of 22 randomized controlled trials (1572 cases) were included, including 780 in the experimental group and 792 in the control group. An analysis showed that the effective rate of acupuncture treatment for insomnia was better than that of Western medicine treatment and the combined effect odds ratio=1.23, 95 % confidence interval [1.17, 1.29]. Pure acupuncture group in Pittsburgh sleep quality experienced surpasses the Western medicine group evaluation combined effect of weighted mean difference=2.04, 95 % confidence interval [1.62, 2.46], p<0.01; In each score of Pittsburgh sleep quality index, sleep quality weighted mean difference=-0.27, 95 % confidence interval [-0.40, -0.13], p<0.01, time to fall asleep weighted mean difference=-0.21, 95 % confidence interval [-0.37, -0.06], p<0.01, sleep efficiency weighted mean difference=-0.30, 95 % confidence interval [-0.42, -0.19], p<0.01, sleep disorder weighted mean difference=-0.22, 95 % confidence interval [-0.41, -0.04], p<0.01, hypnotic drugs weighted mean difference=-0.79, 95 % confidence interval [-1.01, -0.57], p<0.01, daytime function weighted mean difference=-0.39, 95 % CI [-0.59, -0.19], p<0.01. All of the acupuncture groups were better than the Western medicine groups. In the sleep time weighted mean difference=-0.30, 95 % confidence interval [-0.05, 0.18], p=0.73, there was no statistical significance between the acupuncture group and the Western medicine group. Pure acupuncture has more advantages than Western medicine in the treatment of insomnia and it is suitable for clinical promotion.