In a recent study published in JAMA Network Open , researchers investigated whether acupuncture , previously used as an additional therapy alongside other medications for Parkinson's disease, improves sleep quality in Parkinson's patients. Poor sleep is known to accelerate the progression of the disease, making this study significant for patient care. Study: Acupuncture and Sleep Quality Among Patients With Parkinson Disease .
Image Credit: YAKOBCHUK VIACHESLAV/Shutterstock.com Parkinson's disease is a neurological disease with complex pathophysiology, characterized by muscle rigidity, slow movement or bradykinesia, tremors while resting, and instability in posture. Non-motor symptoms also begin to appear and dominate as the disease progresses, contributing to an increase in disability and lower quality of life.
One of the predominant non-motor symptoms is a decrease in sleep quality, which occurs not only with the advancement of the disease but also as one of the side effects of the medications used to treat Parkinson's disease. Studies have also found that poor sleep in Parkinson's disease patients is linked to faster gait deterioration and dyskinesia, as well as the accelerated progression of cognitive and mood-associated symptoms. In the present study, the researchers conducted a randomized, double-blind clinical trial to determine whether acupuncture was a safe and effective method to improve sleep quality in Parkinson's patients.
The trial compared the impact of real ac.