Acupuncture in drug addiction / psychiatry

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

 

Dr Anne Berman has just joined PA-L. Welcome aboard Anne!

 

She has coauthored the following paper:

Berman AH, Lundberg U, Krook AL, Gyllenhammar C. Treating

drug using prison inmates with auricular acupuncture: a

randomized controlled trial. J Subst Abuse Treat. 2004

Mar;26(2):95-102. Department of Psychology, Stockholm

University, Frescati Hagvag 14, plan 3, S-106 91 Stockholm,

Sweden. anne.h.berman This study tested the

viability of auricular acupuncture in prisons for alleviating inmates'

symptoms of psychological and physical discomfort and reducing

their drug use. The experimental NADA-Acudetox protocol was

compared with a non-specific helix control protocol in a randomized

trial. Over a period of 18 months, a 4-week, 14-session auricular

acupuncture treatment program was offered in two prisons to 163

men and women with self-reported drug use. Among treatment

completers, no differences by method were found in self-reported

symptoms of discomfort. Drug use occurred in the NADA group but

not in the helix group. In contrast, confidence in the NADA

treatment increased over time while it decreased for the helix

treatment. No significant negative side effects were observed for

either method. Participants in both groups reported reduced

symptoms of discomfort and improved nighttime sleep. Future

research should compare auricular acupuncture to a non-invasive

control in order to attempt to disentangle active effects from

placebo. Publication Types: Clinical Trial Randomized

Controlled Trial PMID: 15050086 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

 

Berman AH, Lundberg U. Auricular acupuncture in prison

psychiatric units: a pilot study. Acta Psychiatr Scand Suppl.

2002;(412):152-7. Department of Psychology, Stockholm

University, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. OBJECTIVE:

The study explores whether auricular acupuncture can be a viable

treatment form for inmates in prison psychiatric units.METHOD:

Inmates in a prison psychiatric unit and in a support unit for violent

behavior were offered group treatment with auricular acupuncture

three times a week over a period of 9 months. Another prison

psychiatric unit served as a control group.RESULTS: : Twenty-two

inmates received treatment, and 11 inmates received treatment for

over 8 weeks. Cortisol levels were higher for inmates in the support

unit than for the other two groups. Inmates treated at least 25

times were prescribed fewer psycholeptic drugs than controls.

Perceived autonomy increased for treated inmates in the

psychiatric unit. Inmates treated for over 8 weeks experienced

improved inner harmony and calm and better clarity over future

plans.CONCLUSION: : Acupuncture is a non-verbal form of

treatment appropriate for prison psychiatric units. The treatment

facilitates contact and complements other psycho-social treatment

forms. PMID: 12072149 [PubMed - in process]

 

I would like to invite Anne [and the List] to discuss her research

and any other experiences that she/her team have had with

acupuncture - both successes and failures.

 

Anne, with your permission, I will cross-post this discussion to the

TCM List also.

 

 

Best regards,

 

Email: <

 

WORK : Teagasc Research Management, Sandymount Ave., Dublin 4, Ireland

Mobile: 353-; [in the Republic: 0]

 

HOME : 1 Esker Lawns, Lucan, Dublin, Ireland

Tel : 353-; [in the Republic: 0]

WWW : http://homepage.eircom.net/~progers/searchap.htm

 

Chinese Proverb: " Man who says it can't be done, should not interrupt man doing

it "

[Guest guest]

Hi All, & Andy,

 

Andy Lininger wrote:

> Welcomje Dr. Anne Berman, I practiced in a medium security prison

> for four years and saw behavior reflecting your outcomes. The

> program was stopped for political reasons. Re: aruicular

> acupuncture see Acupuncture Today and the event " Group Qi Day "

> authored by Rachel Toomin, AP.

 

Andy, can you summarise the protocol(s) used and the outcomes,

as you saw them?

 

What lay behind the political decision to stop the program?

 

 

Best regards,

 

Email: <

 

WORK : Teagasc Research Management, Sandymount Ave., Dublin 4, Ireland

Mobile: 353-; [in the Republic: 0]

 

HOME : 1 Esker Lawns, Lucan, Dublin, Ireland

Tel : 353-; [in the Republic: 0]

WWW : http://homepage.eircom.net/~progers/searchap.htm

 

Chinese Proverb: " Man who says it can't be done, should not interrupt man doing

it "