Acupuncture at the dorsal section of the governor vessel for gastroesophageal reflux disease combined with sleep disorder:A research of case series

Objective:To observe the clinical therapeutic effect of acupuncture at the dorsal section of the governor vessel in the patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease(GERD)combined with sleep disorder.Methods:A total of 30 patients with GERD combined with sleep disorder were included.Acupuncture was applied to the dorsal section of the governor vessel,inferior to the spinous process from T3 to T12,once every two days,3 times a week,totally for 8 weeks.Before and after treatment,the scores of the reflux disease questionnaire(RDQ)and the Pittsburgh sleep quality index(PSQI)were evaluated.After treatment,the clinical effect was evaluated in the patients.Results:The mean score of RDQ was 21.57±5.91 before treatment and was 3.75±4.92 after treatment,indicating the statistical significance(P<0.05).After treatment,the score of every dimension of PSQI was lower than that before treatment,indicating the statistical significance(P<0.05).Of 30 patients,23 cases were effective and the total effective rate was 76.7%.Conclusion:Acupuncture at the inferior of the spinous process from T3 to T12,on the dorsal section of the governor vessel,achieves the significant clinical effect on GERD combined with sleep disorder and this therapy deserves to be promoted in clinic.