Effects of electro-acupuncture on psychological distress in postmenopausal women.

Objectives: To evaluate effects of electro-acupuncture (EA) on general psychological distress and relate to experience of climacteric symptoms in 30 postmenopausal women.

Design: A randomised single-blind controlled design was used to evaluate effects of EA and extremely superficial needle insertion, with the latter serving as a near-placebo control.

Settings: The Linköping University Hospital in Sweden.

Interventions: Fourteen treatments during 12 weeks with follow-ups at 3 and 6 months.

Outcome Measures: General psychological well-being, mood and experience of climacteric symptoms.

Results: Mood Scale improved only in EA group and not until 12 weeks compared to baseline, from 110 to 129 (P = 0.01), and to 120 at 3-month follow-up (P = 0.04). Mood was significantly better than control at 8 (P = 0.05) and 12 weeks (P = 0.01). Visual analogue scale estimation of climacteric symptoms was decreased at 4 weeks in both groups, and lasted throughout the study period, in EA group from 5 to 2 (P = 0.04) and in control group from 5 to 3 (P = 0.02) at 6-month follow-up. Well-being was ameliorated from 4 weeks in EA and from 8 weeks in control group until end of study (P = 0.01, P = 0.03). No significant differences on climacteric symptoms or well-being existed between the groups.

Conclusions: This study does not show that EA is better than superficial needle insertion for the amelioration of general psychological distress and experience of climacteric symptoms in women with vasomotor symptoms after menopause. However, the more pronounced effect on mood suggests that EA might have additional effects compared with superficial needle insertion.