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    Understanding Acupuncture For Depression

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    Acupuncture is a treatment for depression based on traditional Chinese medicine that uses thin needles inserted at specific points in the body. Research on its effectiveness for depression has been limited due to challenges in study design but some evidence suggests it may provide small benefits compared to no treatment or sham acupuncture. While side effects are rare, it is important to receive treatment from a certified acupuncturist if considering acupuncture for depression.

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    Understanding Acupuncture For Depression

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    bazedi
    117 views9 pages
    Acupuncture is a treatment for depression based on traditional Chinese medicine that uses thin needles inserted at specific points in the body. Research on its effectiveness for depression has been limited due to challenges in study design but some evidence suggests it may provide small benefits compared to no treatment or sham acupuncture. While side effects are rare, it is important to receive treatment from a certified acupuncturist if considering acupuncture for depression.

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    Acupuncture is a treatment for depression based on traditional Chinese medicine that uses thin needles inserted at specific points in the body. Research on its effectiveness for depression has been limited due to challenges in study design but some evidence suggests it may provide small benefits compared to no treatment or sham acupuncture. While side effects are rare, it is important to receive treatment from a certified acupuncturist if considering acupuncture for depression.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    117 views9 pages

    Understanding Acupuncture For Depression

    Uploaded by

    bazedi
    Acupuncture is a treatment for depression based on traditional Chinese medicine that uses thin needles inserted at specific points in the body. Research on its effectiveness for depression has been limited due to challenges in study design but some evidence suggests it may provide small benefits compared to no treatment or sham acupuncture. While side effects are rare, it is important to receive treatment from a certified acupuncturist if considering acupuncture for depression.

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    DEPRESSION

    TREATMENT

    Understanding Acupuncture for


    Depression
    By
    Arlin Cuncic
    Updated on May 23, 2022


    Medically reviewed
    by
    Steven Gans, MD

    Verywell / Madelyn Goodnight

    Table of Contents

    Principles of Acupuncture

    Acupuncture in Practice

    Possible Side Effects

    Research

    Is Acupuncture for Me?

    Acupuncture as a treatment for depression has increasingly become the


    subject of research, but there's little consensus about its effectiveness.
    This is largely because this treatment is difficult to investigate
    empirically, so most existing research is of low quality. Nevertheless,
    acupuncture for depression continues to grow in popularity, so it deserves
    attention—especially for those in whom other methods have failed.

    What Is Acupuncture?
    Acupuncture is a technique based on traditional Chinese medicine
    that uses the insertion of fine needles to unblock channels of energy
    (also known as Qi ) that are thought to reside within the body.

    Principles of Acupuncture
    According to the philosophy behind acupuncture, emotions are
    represented by five elements:

    Fear (Water)
    Anger (Wood)
    Happiness (Fire)
    Worry (Earth)
    Grief (Metal)

    Chinese medicine regards the mind and body as interacting together:


    What you feel in your mind can have a physical impact on your body. Each
    organ—thought of as either "yin" or "yang"— is thought to correspond
    to a certain emotion. For example, the liver is thought to correspond to
    anger. In this line of thought, feeling anger can cause trouble for your
    liver. Likewise, a blocked flow to your liver could result in you feeling
    angry.

    To alleviate this kind of energy congestion, acupuncture clears the


    meridians in your body to allow Qi to move about freely. This is
    accomplished by inserting fine needles into certain points of your body
    that correspond to the meridians and connect to your organs.

    Related:
    How Emotions and Organs Are Connected in Traditional Chinese
    Medicine

    How Acupuncture for Depression Is Practiced


    The acupuncturist inserts needles into points on your body that connect to
    your negative emotions. The needles are thought to fix blocked energy or
    imbalances in your body, which also influence your mind.

    Chinese medicine regards the mind and body as interacting together:


    What you feel in your mind can have a physical impact on your body.

    Points an acupuncturist might use to relieve depression symptoms


    include:

    Guanyuan (CV4): lower back


    Qihai (CV6): below the navel
    Zhongwan (CV12): over the middle of the stomach
    Hegu (L14): on the hand
    Master of Heart 6 (MH6): underside of wrist
    Yanglingquan (GB34): on the leg
    Zusanli (ST36): below the knee
    Taixi (K13): on the ankle
    Shugu (BL65):

    After your acupuncturist has inserted needles, you lie still on a table in a
    peaceful setting, such as with ambient music, aromatherapy, and mood
    lighting. You might receive this treatment once or several times a week,
    depending on your situation.

    It's not hard to imagine that this might help you feel better, regardless of
    whether acupuncture actually treats depression. In fact, the state you're in
    after receiving acupuncture has been referred to as "acubliss."

    Possible Side Effects of Acupuncture


    Although side effects are rare, they do happen. Using a certified
    professional for acupuncture reduces the risk of side effects.

    Mild Side Effects


    The following side effects may be seen at the site where the needles were
    inserted:

    Itchiness
    Allergic reaction
    Feeling sore
    Bleeding or bruising

    Serious Side Effects (Rare)


    The following side effects are rare but possible:

    Nerve damage
    Infection
    Dizziness or fainting

    Research on Acupuncture for Depression


    While numerous studies have attempted to determine acupuncture's
    effectiveness for depression, the quality of some of this research is in
    question. This is because setting up a proper study free of bias is quite
    difficult.

    Potential Sources of Study Bias


    Below are some of the potential sources of bias and why they may be a
    problem for acupuncture in particular.

    Difficulty creating an adequate control condition (i.e., it's hard to fake


    acupuncture)
    Difficulty blinding patients and practitioners (i.e., the acupuncturist will
    know if they are doing the treatment or not)
    Cultural bias (i.e., studies in the East are more likely to show positive
    findings than studies in the West)
    Acupuncture's strong placebo effect (so any real smaller effect may be
    hard to detect)

    A solid research study on acupuncture for depression should:

    Include an adequate control group


    Account for the placebo effect
    Take into account blinding
    Replicate results across different locations

    Acupuncture for Depression Research: A Review


    In one large review that included 64 studies and 7,104 participants, most
    studies were at risk for various kinds of bias (e.g., detection bias, selection
    bias, reporting bias, etc.)

    However, low-quality evidence suggests that acupuncture could reduce


    the severity of depression compared to no treatment, waitlist, or
    treatment as usual.

    When compared with sham acupuncture, there was a small reduction


    in the severity of depression. This suggests that acupuncture may
    have more of an effect than a placebo for depression.

    Compared to medication, there was low-quality evidence of a small


    benefit, which varied by type of medication and mode of acupuncture
    (regular vs. electro).

    Finally, when compared with psychological therapy, the results were


    unclear. No conclusions could be drawn about evidence of an effect beyond
    that observed for psychological therapy for depression.

    In addition, few of the studies conducted follow-ups or studied other


    variables such as quality of life, which are important in depression
    research [1].

    Western Research on Acupuncture and Stress


    Meanwhile, there does seem to be evidence of acupuncture's effectiveness
    in blocking stress hormones and the stress response. This may be because
    the needles activate endorphins, the brain's natural painkillers. [2]

    What Is Depression?
    Depression is an illness characterized by a persistently depressed
    mood or loss of interest or pleasure accompanied by other symptoms
    such as weight/appetite changes, concentration problems, too
    much/too little sleep, hopelessness, fatigue, negative thoughts, and
    suicidal ideation. Brain chemistry, hormones, genetics, life
    experiences, and physical health can all play a role.

    Is Acupuncture for Depression Right for Me?


    If you're still not sure whether acupuncture for depression is right for you,
    consider the following:

    Can you afford it? Will your health insurance cover it?
    Do you have time to attend sessions on a regular basis?
    Are you open to the experience and willing to accept potential side effects?
    Is there a certified professional nearby? If you aren't sure where to look,
    ask for a referral from your doctor or a certifying agency such as the
    National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
    (NCCAOM).
    Have you exhausted other traditional avenues of treatment for depression,
    or are you looking for a complement to other treatments?
    Have you spoken to your doctor about your desire to receive acupuncture?

    If you or a loved one are struggling with depression, contact the


    Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
    (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 for information on
    support and treatment facilities in your area.

    For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline


    Database.

    A Word From Verywell


    Acupuncture for depression is an alternative therapy that has received
    only modest research support. This healing therapy based on ancient
    Chinese medicine appears to show a small benefit for those with
    depression. If you are considering receiving this treatment, be sure that
    you contact a registered professional with proper training.

    Read Next:
    The 7 Best Online Help Resources for Depression

    2 Sources

    By Arlin Cuncic

    Arlin Cuncic, MA, is the author of "Therapy in Focus: What to Expect


    from CBT for Social Anxiety Disorder" and "7 Weeks to Reduce
    Anxiety."
    See Our Editorial Process
    Meet Our Review Board

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