Auricular Acupuncture vs. Progressive Muscle Relaxation in Patients With Anxiety Disorders or Major Depressive Disorder.

Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf

Status: Completed

Conditions: Depressive Disorder, Major; Anxiety Disorders

Treatments: Device: Auricular acupuncture; Procedure: Progressive muscle relaxation

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02340351

UKE-Psych-Aku-08-14

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to determine whether auricular acupuncture (AA) according to the NADA protocol and progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) differ in their effectiveness of treating people with anxiety disorders or major depressive disorder. We hypothesized, that both treatments show significant effects in alleviating the examined items (tension, anxiety, anger/aggression and state ofr mood) and that there is no significant difference between these two treatments.

Full description

The purpose of this study is to determine whether auricular acupuncture according to the NADA protocol and progressive muscle relaxation differ in their effectiveness of treating people with anxiety disorders (AD) or major depressive disorder (MDD).

In this study, acupuncture was executed according to the NADA protocol: a standardized and comparable method of auricular acupuncture (AA) with ease of application and limited adverse reactions, which seems to have high acceptance among psychiatric patients. The NADA (National Acupuncture Detoxification Association) protocol includes the needling of five specific acupuncture points on both ears.

As a comparative relaxation treatment, progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) was applied in our study. It has been well established for many decades, especially for the treatment of severe states of physical and mental tension, which is a common symptom of anxiety disorders and depression. Many studies also suggest its potential utility in the treatment program of many other illnesses, which are associated with conditions of anxiety and depression, such as schizophrenia, sleeping disorders, endometriosis, atopic dermatitis or cancer.

The main aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of AA according to the NADA protocol versus PMR in patients with AD or MDD. We hypothesized, that both treatments show significant effects in alleviating the examined items (tension, anxiety, anger/aggression and state ofr mood) and that there is no significant difference between these two treatments. In order to increase the patients´ treatment acceptance and compliance, this study was set up in an open design in which each patient was freely able to choose between both treatments.

Enrollment: 136 patients

Sex: All

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• patient at our psychiatric ward or day-hospital
• meeting the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for the primary diagnosis of an anxiety disorder oder major depressive disorder

Exclusion criteria

• ear infection
• anamnestic substance abuse or positive drug screening
• taking opioid analgesics
• suffering from schizophrenic or organic cerebral psychosis

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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136 participants in 2 patient groups

Auricular acupuncture

Active Comparator group

Description:

Within this arm, patients were treated with auricular acupuncture according to the NADA protocol. Each setting involved not more than eight patients at a time and was performed in a sitting position. Each session lasted 30 minutes and took place twice a week over a period of 4 weeks.

Treatment:

Device: Auricular acupuncture

Progressive muscle relaxation

Active Comparator group

Description:

Within this arm, patients were treated with who chose treatment with progressive muscle relaxation. Each setting involved not more than eight patients at a time and was performed in a sitting position. Each session lasted 30 minutes, took place twice a week over a period of 4 weeks.

Treatment:

Procedure: Progressive muscle relaxation