Acupuncture tonification: adjunct in psychiatric rehabilitation

Our aim was to "tonify" chronic psychiatric patients, i.e., restore their physiological homeostasis and sense of well-being by using standardized acupuncture. In eighteen subjects, eleven diagnosed as schizophrenic, feelings of well-being lasting no longer than three days were obtained in over 60% of the treatments. In more than two-thirds of the cases normalization of blood pressure values tending to 120/80 was evident. Degree of physiological change did not appear to be associated with overall psychological improvement; neither was the number of treatments associated with long-term improvement. For future studies, increased treatment frequency and less rigidly controlled procedures are suggested.