An Observational Study on Acupuncture for Earthquake-Related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: The Experience of the Lombard Association of Medical Acupuncturists/Acupuncture in the World, in Amatrice, Central Italy.

Researchers studied whether acupuncture could help people suffering from psychological trauma and pain after a devastating earthquake in Amatrice, Central Italy. The study involved earthquake survivors who were experiencing both mental health symptoms like anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as physical pain from musculoskeletal injuries. Between September and October 2016, experienced medical acupuncturists provided treatments to affected residents over a five-week period. Most patients (68.3%) reported having both pain and psychological symptoms when they began treatment.

The acupuncturists used points primarily on the Kidney, Large Intestine, Spleen, and Gall Bladder meridians. Patients received three daily acupuncture sessions, and researchers measured their symptoms before and after treatment using a numerical rating scale. The results were encouraging: after just three treatments, more than half of the patients (54.05%) reported significant improvements in their psychological symptoms, while 60.6% experienced marked relief from pain. The statistical analysis confirmed these improvements were significant, and importantly, no serious side effects were reported during the study.

While these findings suggest acupuncture may be a valuable tool for helping people cope with trauma and pain following natural disasters, the researchers acknowledge that more rigorous studies are needed. For earthquake survivors or others dealing with trauma-related symptoms, acupuncture appears to offer a safe complementary approach alongside conventional treatment. If you're considering acupuncture for trauma or pain management, seek care from a licensed acupuncturist with appropriate medical training and experience.

This observational study examined acupuncture's efficacy for earthquake-related PTSD and musculoskeletal pain in Amatrice, Italy survivors. The five-week intervention (September-October 2016) enrolled adult patients presenting with psychological symptoms and pain, with 68.3% reporting both conditions. Experienced medical acupuncturists delivered treatments utilizing primarily Kidney (13.17%), Large Intestine (12.46%), Spleen (12.04%), and Gall Bladder (10.34%) meridian points. Following three daily treatment sessions, 54.05% of patients reported marked improvement in psychological symptoms and 60.6% in pain symptoms. Wilcoxon rank-sum testing demonstrated statistically significant improvements in both pain (P=0.000) and psychological symptoms (P=0.000) comparing pre-treatment to post-third treatment scores. No serious adverse events occurred. While results suggest acupuncture may effectively address disaster-related trauma and pain, the observational design and absence of control group limit conclusions. The study supports acupuncture as a potential safe adjunctive intervention in disaster relief settings, warranting further controlled research.