The Effectiveness of Acupuncture for the Treatment of PTSD in Patients Witnessing the 2023 Earthquake Disaster in Turkey: A Retrospective Study

¹Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Yuksek Ihtisas University, Ankara, Turkey

²General Practitioner, President of TekChi’s Academy of Acupuncture, Ankara, Turkey

*Corresponding author: Hicran Demir Usan, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Yuksek Ihtisas University, Ankara, Turkey, Phone: +905317907828, Email: [email protected]

Received Date: January 14, 2025

Publication Date: January 30, 2025

Citation: Usan HD, et al. (2025). The Effectiveness of Acupuncture for the Treatment of PTSD in Patients Witnessing the 2023 Earthquake Disaster in Turkey: A Retrospective Study. Traditional Medicine. 6(1):33.

Copyright: Usan HD, et al. © (2025).

ABSTRACT

Introduction: The February 2023 earthquake in southeastern Turkey resulted in significant loss of life and widespread destruction, leaving many survivors at risk of developing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture in reducing the symptoms related to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder among earthquake survivors in Turkey. Materials and Method: The medical records of 30 earthquake survivors with diagnosed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder were retrospectively analyzed. The acupuncture protocol patients received was the Neuro-Psycho-Pathogen Elimination protocol, targeting the amygdala, nucleus raphe, hippocampus, nucleus accumbens, dentate nucleus, hypothalamus, pituitary, and shems points within the Tekci Diagonal Acupuncture System, combined with Traditional Chinese Acupuncture points Yintang, LV3, and GV20. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: Significant improvements were observed across all measured outcomes. The PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 scores decreased from a mean of 55.6 to 37.0 (p < 0.001). The National Stressful Events Survey PTSD Short Scale scores declined from a mean of 3.0 to 1.8 (p < 0.001). Additionally, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores improved from a mean of 11.9 to 7.4 (p < 0.001). Conclusion: This study indicates that acupuncture may be an effective treatment for reducing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms in earthquake survivors. Further research with larger sample sizes and controlled study designs is necessary to validate these findings and explore the long-term effects of acupuncture on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Keywords: Acupuncture, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Sleep Quality, Earthquake, Natural Disaster