Acupuncture improves chronic indigestion disorder finds clinical trial

The evidence for different frequencies of acupuncture treatment in postprandial distress syndrome (PDS) is insufficient.

Researchers conducted a multicenter 2-group, randomized clinical trial to assess the efficacy of acupuncture versus sham acupuncture in patients with PDS in 5 tertiary hospitals in China.

They found that a 4-week course of acupuncture increased self-reported relief and improvement of symptoms for patients with a subtype of indigestion known as postprandial distress syndrome (PDS). The effects of acupuncture persisted through the 12-week follow-up without symptom relapse or rebound. Findings from a randomized clinical trial are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Postprandial distress syndrome, a condition characterized by bothersome early fullness after eating and upper abdominal bloating, places a substantial burden on the health care system because of its high prevalence in a relatively young patient population and the chronic relapsing nature of its symptoms. The condition is reported to have a great negative effect on health-related quality of life, which makes finding an effective treatment imperative. Previous studies on acupuncture have been limited by the small number of participants and poor study quality.