Acupuncture and Depression Treatment

Is there a positive link between acupuncture and depression relief?

At the early age of social evolution, human beings on the planet were mostly leading a nomadic life and encountered a lot of biological disorders and conditions. They intrinsically tried to find ways and means to heal these through various natural remedies.

Various forms of natural remedies thus evolved as Man tried to establish the process of curing different physiological and psychological conditions. This further developed, continued to progress and ultimately took its roots in different treatment methodologies like Homeopathy, Ayurveda, and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). While the approach of these systems differed from one another, the ultimate aim is to cure illness and heal human beings ailing from various health conditions.

Acupuncture happens to be one such form of treatment discovered through Traditional Chinese Medicine, and it has been practiced in China for many centuries. According to TCM, the human body consists of channels through which energy flows and the functioning of the entire human body depends upon the energy flow.

If energy is blocked in certain areas, it results in illness and disease, both psychological and physiological. Therefore, it is important for Man to maintain smooth flow of energy throughout the body.

This vital energy or life force is referred to as “qi” and flows through 14 channels which are interconnected. The surface of the human body has 365 accupoints or vortexes through which this “qi” energy can be tapped.

Acupuncture and Depression

So how exactly does acupuncture and depression treatment or relief work?

In people suffering from depression, this “qi” energy will be blocked at one or more of these channels, and it is important to release this energy and ensure that it is free flowing. Depending upon the texture of the skin, posture, gait, demeanor, voice, smell, tongue, pulse, heart rate, and the history and symptoms of the person experiencing depression, an acupuncturist will decide the course of treatment and the number of acupuncture sessions that would be required.

Acupuncture depression treatment is conducted by expert acupuncturists piercing hair-thin sterile needles at predetermined accupoints in an effort to release blocked energy or “qi” All needles used are sterile, and will be disposed off so that they can never be used again. These apply to acupuncture and depression treatment, as well as acupuncture in general.

Auricular Acupuncture and Depression

Acupuncturists also perform what is called “auricular acupuncture”, where the outer ear lobe is pierced using fine needles, and this is considered to help balance and regulate the various neurotransmitters. This could be one of the reasons why ear piercing was performed to people of both genders in India.

Again, this has been in practice for centuries now, but of course with fashion trends changing, the male gender got left out somewhere down the line, and only girls and women undertook ear piercing, especially for ornamental reasons, without quite understanding the scientific reason for doing so.

Conclusion

If one is considering using acupuncture for depression treatment, it is worthwhile to note that acupuncture is not painful and is performed under an extremely calm and relaxed atmosphere. The entire session might take around an hour or slightly longer and, depending on the severity of depression and relief experienced by the person, the acupuncturist might request the patient to attend more sessions at regular intervals.

There are hardly any side effects to acupuncture, and one must ensure that one checks the credentials of the acupuncturist. Various other symptoms of depression including insomnia, irritability, anxiety, and fatigue seem to decrease and ultimately disappear with acupuncture, and people are finding it extremely relaxing and re-energizing. These are the many benefits of acupuncture and depression treatment.

Useful Depression Resources