Observation on clinical effect of acupuncture combined with wheat-grain moxibustion for mild to moderate postpartum depression

Abstract

To compare the clinical effect of acupuncture combined with wheat-grain moxibustion and oral sertraline hydrochloride dispersible tablets in the treatment of mild to moderate postpartum depression. Sixty patients with mild to moderate postpartum depression were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 30 cases in each group. Both groups were treated with psychotherapy. The control group was treated with oral sertraline hydrochloride dispersible tablets, 50 mg each time, once a day; the observation group was treated with acupuncture at Qihai (CV 6), Zusanli (ST 36), Xuehai (SP 10), Hegu (LI 4), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Taixi (KI 3), etc. combined with wheat-grain moxibustion at Xinshu (BL 15), Pishu (BL 20), Ganshu (BL 18) and Shenshu (BL 23), once every other day, 3 times a week. Both groups were treated for 4 weeks as a course, with 2 consecutive courses of treatment. Before and after treatment and follow-up of 3 months after the end of treatment, the Hamilton depression scale (HAMD), Edinburgh postnatal depression scale (EPDS) and World Health Organization quality of life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) score of the two groups were compared, and the clinical effect was assessed. After treatment and during follow-up, the HAMD and EPDS scores of the two groups were lower than before treatment (P<0.05), and the WHOQOL-BREF scores of the two groups were higher than before treatment (P<0.05). In the control group, the scores of HAMD and EPDS during follow-up were higher than after treatment (P<0.05), and the score of WHOQOL-BREF during follow-up was lower than after treatment (P<0.05). After treatment and during follow-up, the HAMD and EPDS scores of the observation group were lower than those of the control group (P<0.05), and the WHOQOL-BREF score of the observation group was higher than that of the control group (P<0.05). The total effective rate of the observation group was 93.3% (28/30), which was higher than 86.7% (26/30) of the control group (P<0.05). Acupuncture combined with wheat-grain moxibustion can improve the depressive symptoms of patients with mild to moderate postpartum depression and improve their quality of life, and the clinical effect is more lasting and stable than oral sertraline hydrochloride dispersible tablets.