Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 2, 2025
04:50
Preliminary Study on Acupuncture Combined with Grain-sized Moxibustion for Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis with Finger Joint Pain
Published on: May 16, 2025
134
Acupuncture treatment for Hashimoto's thyroiditis: An exploratory randomized controlled trial
Shanze Wang1, Chao Yang2, Weimei Zeng2
1The Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
Integrative Medicine Research
|February 29, 2024
Summary
This study found Hand Yangming Meridian Penetrating Acupuncture may safely reduce thyroglobulin antibodies in Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) patients. Acupuncture improved patient-reported outcomes, suggesting feasibility for HT hypothyroidism management.
Area of Science:
- Integrative Medicine
- Endocrinology
- Clinical Acupuncture Research
Background:
- Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) presents a high incidence and persistent clinical challenges.
- Traditional Chinese acupuncture, specifically Hand Yangming Meridian Penetrating Acupuncture, is used for thyroid conditions, but lacks robust randomized controlled trial (RCT) evidence for HT.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct an exploratory RCT assessing the efficacy, safety, and feasibility of Hand Yangming Meridian Penetrating Acupuncture for treating Hashimoto's thyroiditis.
- To evaluate the impact of acupuncture on key immunological markers and patient-reported outcomes in HT.
Main Methods:
- An exploratory RCT randomly assigned 58 subjects with HT to either an acupuncture group or a waiting treatment group (1:1 ratio).
- The acupuncture group received 16 weeks of treatment followed by a 16-week observation period.
- The waiting group received standard thyroxine supplementation for 16 weeks, followed by 16 weeks of compensation treatment. Primary outcomes included serum thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOab) and thyroglobulin antibody (TGab) levels, alongside patient-reported outcomes (ThyPRO-39, SF-36, HADS).
Main Results:
- While no significant difference in TPOab levels was observed between groups, the acupuncture group showed a statistically significant reduction in TGab levels (P = 0.011).
- Significant improvements were noted in the acupuncture group for total ThyPRO-39 (P < 0.001) and SF-36 (P = 0.005) scores compared to the waiting group.
- No significant differences in Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) scores were found between the groups.
Conclusions:
- Hand Yangming Meridian Penetrating Acupuncture demonstrates potential safety and feasibility in managing Hashimoto's thyroiditis hypothyroidism.
- The treatment may effectively improve patient-reported symptoms and reduce specific antibody levels (TGab) in individuals with HT.
