Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Auricular Acupuncture in the Treatment of Insomnia in Patients with Chronic Pain at TTH Quang Binh General Hospital

Abstract

   Background: Insomnia is a common disorder characterized by a persistent reduction in sleep quality and/or sleep duration over a certain period, in which impaired sleep quality has greater diagnostic significance than sleep duration. This condition is highly prevalent among patients with chronic pain, leading to reduced quality of life and difficulties in pain control, with reported prevalence rates up to 72.8%. Among current therapeutic approaches, auricular acupuncture-a modality of Traditional  Medicine is considered a potential, convenient, and effective complementary therapy. This provides the rationale for conducting a study to evaluate the effects of auricular acupuncture on insomnia in patients with chronic pain. Objectives: 1. To investigate selected clinical characteristics of insomnia in patients with chronic pain; 2. To evaluate the therapeutic effects of auricular acupuncture on insomnia in the study population and identify related factors.
   Subjects and Methods: A total of 72 patients who presented for outpatient and inpatient treatment at the Department of Traditional Medicine and Rehabilitation 1, TTH Quang Binh General Hospital, and met the inclusion criteria, were enrolled. Patients were allocated into two comparable groups with respect to age, sex, and pain intensity. Both groups received standard analgesic treatment according to a unified protocol; Group I additionally received treatment for insomnia using auricular acupuncture. The study was designed as a controlled clinical intervention with pre- and post-treatment comparisons.
   Results: Sleep onset latency decreased by 38.61 minutes, total sleep duration increased by 2.46 hours, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score decreased by 8.78 points. No significant differences were observed with respect to age, sex, or types of musculoskeletal disorders. However, a significant association was found between pain intensity and the degree of PSQI score reduction.
   Conclusions: Auricular acupuncture is clinically effective in the treatment of insomnia in patients with chronic pain. Management of chronic pain contributes to improvement in insomnia, and conversely, improvement in sleep quality facilitates better pain control.

DOI: 10.59715/pntjmp.5.2.17