A case series: How do patients with an eating disorder, seeking acupuncture treatment present (patterns of disharmony), and how are they treated?

Abstract

Acupuncture is an emerging therapy being utilised by those with eating disorders. Little is known about acupuncture and eating disorders. The aim of this paper is to present some TCM insight into the eating disordered patient who seeks acupuncture treatment such as how they present according to TCM principles and how acupuncturists are treating these patients. Three experienced acupuncturists contributed 46 cases studies (eighteen outpatients, twenty six inpatients) of patients with eating disorders who sought acupuncture treatment. Help with their eating disorder was not what the majority of patients in this study sought acupuncture for. The majority of in-patients wanted help for digestive and mood concerns. Our collective cases provide an insight into how eating disorders present and how they are treated by TCM acupuncture. How these insights may help clinicians and researchers is discussed.