Electroacupuncture for tapering off long-term benzodiazepine use: study protocol of randomized controlled trial.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Conventional approaches for benzodiazepine tapering have their limitations. Anecdotal studies have shown that acupuncture is a potential treatment for facilitating successful benzodiazepine tapering. As of today, there was no randomized controlled trial examining its efficacy and safety. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the efficacy of using electroacupuncture as an adjunct treatment to gradual tapering of benzodiazepine doses in complete benzodiazepine cessation in long-term benzodiazepine users.

Methods/design

The study protocol of a randomized, assessor- and subject-blinded, controlled trial is presented. One hundred and forty-four patients with histories of using benzodiazepines in ≥50% of days for more than 3 months will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 r

SUBMITTER: Yeung WF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5374579 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature