Does Acupuncture Effectively Relieve with Depression?
One condition that I am asked about constantly is how acupuncture and Chinese Medicine can help in the treatment of depression.
What is Depression Precisely?
Now, what are the indicators of depression? Let’s quickly go over this, before we go into Chinese medicine’s view of this condition. Depression is a mood disorder that causes a state of “low” mood and is sometimes characterized by an aversion to daily activity. The mental and physical indications of depression can affect not simply the thoughts and emotions of a person but also their physical state of well-being.
It is not unusual for those going through depression to show a large number of symptoms, including: insomnia, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, aches and pains in the body, fast weight gain or loss, poor memory, fatigue, digestive problems and in most cases a total lack of interest in doing the things they used to like doing. In severe cases of depression, suicide could even be considered or attempted.
How is Depression Usually Treated?
Today, the most common treatments for depression are psychotherapy and anti-depressant drugs. Sadly, it is very common for drugs to be prescribed without regard for the exact symptoms of the depressed individual.
Ok, What about Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine to Treat Depression?
Alternatively, Traditional Chinese Medicine approaches the issue of depression from a distinctly different view point. TCM doesn’t throw all of these symptoms together and classify it as “depression” or as just one illness for that matter. We strive to treat the exact symptoms possessed by an individual patient and do not believe there’s a one-size-fits-all answer to this complex disorder. Using a wide array of TCM techniques, including: Chinese herbs, acupuncture and energetic exercises, we attempt to correct imbalances throughout the body and treat the individual symptoms that a patient is experiencing.
The purpose of acupuncture is to excite the body’s energy flow, or Qi, and revive functionality. Though many consider acupuncture a preventive health related practice, studies have confirmed its ability in treating discomfort and pain and other persistent health related conditions.
Since the late 1980s and early 1990s, there were a large number studies that suggest the treatment of depression with acupuncture is a viable choice. Including acupuncture has been shown to have a positive and holistic effect, particularly when combined with herbal treatments and psychotherapy.
Rob Green is an acupuncture and alternative health writer who writes regular content for BodaHealth a Vancouver acupuncture & Traditional Chinese Medicine clinic.
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