The Effect of Auricular Plaster Therapy on Insomnia in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Objective: This research was conducted to observe the effects of auricular plaster therapy on insomnia in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Materials and Methods: This study involved 76 patients with insomnia caused by RA, who were admitted to Foshan Chancheng Central Hospital-in Foshan, Guangdong, China-from August 2017 to August 2018. The patients were randomized, with 38 to the intervention group and another 38 to the control group. The intervention group was treated with auricular plaster therapy with beans, while the control group was treated with estazolam orally before going to bed. Curative effects were compared between the 2 groups. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scale (PSQI) and the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) were used to assess and evaluate the sleep quality of patients. Result: Scores of the PSQI dimensions all fell in both groups after treatment. Scores for sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep efficiency, sleep disorder, and daytime dysfunction in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). AIS scores in all dimensions decreased in both groups, and, after treatment, scores and total points of sleep latency, night-time revival, overall sleep quality, and the dimensionality of daytime body function in the intervention group were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Auricular plaster therapy has a marked effect on insomnia in patients with RA, and the therapy is easy and simple to apply.