Abstract

Background: Acupuncture is a time-tested treatment modality from traditional Chinese medicine having strong basic philosophical principles. Under this ideology, health develops from the free flow of qi or vital energy which connects the theory of yin and yang. Hypothyroidism arising from hormone deficiency is a most common disorder affecting women more than men. Applying acupuncture simultaneously at several well-known acupoints was known to be effective in thyroid disorders but scanty studies exist on single-point acupuncture needling for hypothyroidism.

Aims and Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of acupuncture needling at acupoints Liver 1 (LIV-1) and Gall Bladder-21 (GB-21) on thyroid function test in hypothyroidism patients and compare the efficacy of LIV-1 and GB-21.

Materials and Methods: A comparative study was performed among 80 patients with hypothyroidism in the age group of 18–35 years. Patients satisfying the inclusion and exclusion criteria were randomly assigned to the LIV-1 group and GB-21 group. The acupuncture needling was given to both groups for duration of 20 min on alternate days for 15 days a month for 3 months, that is, 45 days of needling in 90 days. Thyroid function test was assessed pre- and post-intervention for both the groups and the results were compared.

Results: The results showed a significant reduction in triiodothyronine and thyroid-stimulating hormone levels and a significant increase in tetraiodothyronine levels in both LIV-1 group and GB-21 group. However, no significant variation was noted between the groups.

Conclusion: Single-point acupuncture needling at LIV-1 and GB-21 points significantly improved the thyroid function tests. Both these acupoints were equally effective in treating hypothyroidism.

Key words: Acupuncture; Gall bladder Meridian; Gall Bladder-21; Hypothyroidism; Liver Meridian; Liv1; Thyroid Function Test; Triiodothyronine; Tetraiodothyronine; Thyroid-stimulating Hormone