Acupuncture for management of balance impairment in a patient with bipolar disorder.

Author: Kim KH, Kim JK, Yang GY, Lee BR, Noh SH.
Affiliation: Department of Acupuncture & Moxibustion Medicine, Korean Medicine Hospital, Pusan National University, Yangsan, Republic of Korea.
Conference/Journal: J Acupunct Meridian Stud.
Date published: 2013 Feb
Other: Volume ID: 6 , Issue ID: 1 , Pages: 56-9 , Special Notes: doi: 10.1016/j.jams.2012.12.001 , Word Count: 90



A case is reported of unexplained unilateral thigh muscle atrophy and frequent falling with poor response to conventional conservative treatments in a patient with bipolar disorder who self-selected acupuncture treatment as a last resort. The patient experienced gradual improvements in lower extremity weakness and fewer falls during the 8-month treatment. No adverse event or aggravation of the bipolar disorder was observed. These outcomes suggest that acupuncture may be a feasible adjunct for reducing falling and restoring postural balances in patients with bipolar disorder.
Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V.
PMID: 23433056