Clinical Observation On Acupuncture Plus Auricular Point Sticking In Treating Somnipathy Of Children With Mental Retardation

ObjectiveBased on the literature research and clinical practice, this study was to observe the clinical effects of acupuncture plus auricular point sticking in treating somnipathy of children with mental retardation and explore the therapeutic mechanism of this therapy, which provided the theoretical and clinical basis for somnipathy treated with acupuncture and auricular point sticking therapy.MethodsAll the patients who accepted the treatments in this study were from the Acupuncture Department, Shenzhen Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. With the premises of agreements of the patients'parents or other guardians and according to the inclusive and exclusive criteria of western medicine, 60 children with mental retardation were enrolled. According to the order admitted to hospital, they were randomly divided into two groups. In the treatment group, all the 30 cases were treated with acupuncture plus auricular point sticking therapy. In the control group, all the 30 cases were treated with simple acupuncture. Both the two groups were based on the same points, methods and courses, and the changes of CSHQ score before and after treatments were observed. The difference of the therapeutic effects between the two groups was analyzed and the relation between the ages and effective rate was observed. With the TCM syndrome differentiation, the influence of TCM syndrome differentiation to the therapeutic effects was observed.Results1. There was no significant difference of age, sex, syndrome differentiation and CSHQ score between both the two groups (P>0.05), with comparability.2. For the assessment of CSHQ score, the total effective rate in group A was significantly higher than that in group B. (P<0.05). The scores of usual amount of sleep, bedtime, sleep habit, sleep behavior, waking during night, morning waking, daytime sleepiness, the total points in CSHQ as well as the clinical symptoms were remarkably improved in group A (P<0.05). In the control group, the scores of bedtime, sleep habit, sleep behavior, waking during night and the total points in CSHQ showed significant improvement after the courses(P<0.05), but the scores of usual amount of sleep, morning waking and daytime sleepiness didn't show any improvement.3. In the observation of relation between ages and therapeutic efficacy, the therapeutic efficacy of the kids under seven years old was better than that over seven years old, indicating that the younger the age was, the better the therapeutic efficacy would be.4. With the statistical management of the total effective rates of all kinds of syndromes in the two groups, according to the analysis of the syndrome differentiation, there was no significant difference.Conclusions1. Acupuncture plus auricular point sticking therapy has definite clinical effects in treating somnipathy of children with mental retardation, which was better than the simple acupuncture therapy.2. There was significant difference of the therapeutic effects and the CSHQ scores according to different ages. The younger the children were, the better the therapeutic efficacy would be.3. In the treatment of somnipathy of children with mental retardation, the acupuncture plus auricular point sticking therapy could improve the clinical symptoms and enhance the quality of sleeping of the children, which has the definite therapeutic efficacy and is worthy of being further popularized in clinic.