Acupuncture for Depression: Does It Really Work?

Depression is the leading mental illness in the world. Roughly 18 million Americans suffer from depression. Worldwide, 121 million people have depression. Additionally, women are affected more than men.

The causes of depression differ from individual to individual. However, there are common causes of depression, such as losing a family member or friend, stress, diseases, and some drugs. Depression can reduce the quality of life of a person and make them completely withdraw from society. When severe, depression can cause negative thoughts leading to suicide. Therefore, it is essential to seek treatment for the condition as soon as symptoms present.

The treatment duration for depression is also long, usually at least six months, for the depression symptoms to subside. For the longest time, the treatment of depression involves the use of drugs. However, antidepressant medications are associated with many side effects, promoting the lack of adherence to the drugs. Due to the many side effects of antidepressant medications, people look for natural alternatives to alleviate depression symptoms. Some other options include getting adequate sleep, exercising, eating healthy, using essential oils in aromatherapy, et cetera. According to a chiropractor near Lax, one natural alternative to treat depression, that is under further research, is acupuncture.

Acupuncture.
Acupuncture is one of the oldest types of Traditional Chinese Medicine, dating back over 2500 years ago. It involves using several needles in your body at acupoints, also known as pressure points, to relieve pain or stress. Acupuncture therapy near LAX is offered to patients with chronic pain, such as lower back pain, menstrual pain, anxiety, and depression.

The most common question that clients seeking acupuncture near LAX ask our chiropractor near LAX is whether or not the procedure is painful. Acupuncture therapy near LAX is painless because the chiropractor uses very thin needles. However, compared to acupuncture for chronic pain near LAX, acupuncture for depression uses needles throughout the body, while acupuncture for chronic pain uses limited needles.

Does acupuncture work for depression?
There is little evidence to support that acupuncture can relieve depression. Unlike acupuncture for depression, the evidence for a procedure like LAX acupuncture for back pain is more concrete because extensive research has been carried out. This is why LAX acupuncture for back pain and acupuncture for chronic pain near LAX are more common.

According to research conducted so far, acupuncture has the potential of alleviating symptoms of depression and reducing the side effects of antidepressant medications. A study conducted on depressed patients showed that constant electro acupuncture sessions, five days a week for six weeks, gives the same results as the daily use of the antidepressant drug, fluoxetine.

Acupuncture works by triggering the release of endorphins blocking increased stress levels from hormones in the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis. Since stress is one common cause of depression, acupuncture alleviates symptoms of depression, and prevents depression as well. Due to this factor, acupuncture near LAX can also be used in the treatment of anxiety.

Acupuncture for depression is a promising treatment in patients with mild depression only. It is not suitable for patients with moderate to severe depression. Additionally, acupuncture for depression should be combined with antidepressant medications. Acupuncture alone is not effective in treating depression. Therefore, your doctor will advise you to continue taking your antidepressant medications and may decrease the dosages after some acupuncture sessions.