Depressed? Then Try Acupuncture
Acupuncture for the treatment of depression? Why this ancient form of Chinese medicine is one of the best, if not the best treatment for depression has been proven by numerous tests to back up the claims of several people who have benefited from acupuncture. Its consistent results can also be an ideal choice for people who are seeking a natural and safe alternative or complementary treatment for Western modes of treatment for depression and anxiety.
What Is Acupuncture?
As mentioned above, acupuncture is an ancient form of Chinese medicine form of treatment that uses hair-thin needles inserted into pre-selected nerve points in the body. Some of the major aims of acupuncture include the promotion of well-being, treatment of diseases, and for the amelioration of pain.
Acupuncture’s usability and efficacy in Western medicine are continuously being tested in scientific studies. Their results have been consistently positive in terms of the effectiveness in the treatment of psychiatric disorders such as anxiety and depression, physical maladies such as headache, nausea, and muscular pains in the back and neck regions.
The Physiological Aspects of Anxiety and Depression
A lot of scientific researches prove the theory stating that rather than being psychological, depression is actually physiological in nature. Depression usually ensues when the body is deficient in essential vitamins, nutrients, and bio-chemicals that allow the body and mind to thrive healthily and work in synchronicity.
When these physiological necessities have been met, the depressive mood of affected individuals significantly and dramatically improves. Because of these, scientists are presently looking for ways to retain to prevent these bio-chemicals from prematurely breaking down. And from the tons of studies they have done, they have seen that acupuncture has been the most effective way to achieve this.
Acupuncture works by stimulating the nerve endings to dispatch the proper signals to the various affected organs. This stimulation leads to the manufacture of important chemicals, in adequate amounts, to offset the symptoms of depression.
A person suffering from depression most likely will never require the intake of drugs when he/she undergoes regular acupuncture treatments. A consultation with a qualified practitioner might be all you need to possess a calm and peaceful mind.
The NIH Endorses Acupuncture as a Treatment for Depression
The NIH or National Institutes of Health has stated that enough evidence have been compiled that proves the value of acupuncture as an effective complementary treatment to conventional medicine and they recommend more future studies of its clinical worth and how it works.
A specific medical and clinical study done dealing with Overland Park acupuncture for the treatment of depression has shown that the ineffectiveness of drugs and even, at times, psychotherapy makes the choice of acupuncture essential because of the latter’s extreme effectiveness when all other forms conventional treatment fail.
Targeted Treatment
In order to be effective, acupuncture treatment needs to be targeted, focused, and performed regularly. A depression and acupuncture study was performed by researchers at the University of Arizona involved 38 adults suffering from mild to moderate depression. A regular acupuncture treatment was given these patients lasting for 30 days given two times a week, with twice-weekly sessions lasting for 30 days, and reduced in frequency on the succeeding months. At the end of the study, more than 50% of the patients state that their symptoms have been significantly reduced, if not totally, cured.
This study shows that acupuncture is indeed a powerful alternative treatment for depression. It was a focused and targeted study that used specific acupoints meant to reduce anxiety and induce relaxation, and tapered down in frequency over the course of time. This is in stark contrast to non-specific acupuncture treatment that may take a while longer to resolve the depression. Acupuncture’s desired benefits may still require further studies when taken in the context of focused and specific acupuncture therapy meant to resolve severe types of depression versus Western medications and treatment.
Diet and Lifestyle Changes
It is important to point out that as acupuncture becomes more and more a popular form of alternative and a complementary treatment for depression, the benefits accrued in acupuncture treatment is also usually associated with dietary discipline and lifestyle change among patients. The reason for this is that in a sense, acupuncture is a discipline in itself, and that discipline expands to the patient’s dietary and lifestyle aspects, in the treatment of depression.