The effects of acupuncture and herb-bath on the relief of anxiety and improvement of sleep quality in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease

Abstract

Objective To investigate the effects of acupuncture and herb-bath on the relief of anxiety and improvement of sleep quality in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease(GERD). Methods One hundred and nineteen GERD patients in the Second Hospital of Shaoxing and Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, during January 2014 to February 2015, were randomly divided into treatment and control groups.Both groups regularly took PPI, but the treatment group added herb-bath and acupuncture treatment, while the control group only applied PPI therapy.Pittsburgh sleep quality index scale(PSQI)and the hospital anxiety and depression scale(HADS)were calculated to evaluate the anxiety and depression. Results After eight weeks, the total effective rate of remission in treatment group was 91.4%(53/58), while in the control group, the total efficiency was 73.7%(45/61). There were significant differences between the two groups(P<0.05). PSQI and HADS scores improved after treatment in both groups, but the treatment group was significantly more effective than the control group(P<0.05). Conclusion Acupuncture and herb-bath with PPI can be more effectively relieve anxiety and reflux symptoms in patients with esophageal reflux, avoiding dependence on psychotropic drugs and medicine-caused reflux problems. Key words: Gastroesophageal reflux disease; Acupuncture; Herb-bath; Anxiety; Sleep quality