Anxiety and depression affect millions of people and is much more common than we realize.

Depression can happen for different reasons sometimes it may be related to the genetic material passed down from your parents, develop from internalizing unwanted emotional stress over time, or happen seasonally especially in winter when the days are shorter and colder. Either way experiencing long term depression can take its toll on your personal and social life, as well as your overall health and well being. Western medicine offers some treatment for depression but often medication can leave you with other unwanted symptoms. Acupuncture for depression and anxiety  is a safe and effective treatment, and can address other symptoms related to depression and anxiety such as restlessness, irritability, poor sleep, and fatigue.

Acupuncture for Depression and Anxiety

Acupuncture for depression and anxiety are commonly treated together. According to Eastern medicine when you are feeling depressed your energy is low and you can feel a lack of motivation and fatigue, this can be associated with depressive liver qi. This qi or energy can become stagnant and can build up within the body causing episodes of anxiety and/ or irritability. Acupuncture points for depression are used to decrease these symptoms once your history and symptoms are reviewed to select the best points. In some cases Chinese herbal medicine can be used to further address symptoms.

Does Acupuncture Work for Depression?

Acupuncture Treatment for Depression has been found Effective Alone or in combination with Medication and other Therapies

In a research article, Commentary on the Cochrane Review of Acupuncture for Depression, it states “a subgroup of participants with depression as a co-morbidity experienced a reduction in depression with manual acupuncture compared with SSRIs”. When patients using antidepressants in conjunction with acupuncture the results are very promising in reducing both the symptoms and severity of depression.

Acupuncture may also be safe and effective alternative to antidepressants for women during pregnancy or other situations where certain medications may be contraindicated.

In some circumstances using acupuncture in conjunction with therapy can be a healthy addition to working through severe depression.

Depression and anxiety are merely another symptom, a sign that something is wrong or off balance in the body that needs to be remedied.

Taking antidepressants is a short term fix and is similar to  putting a bandage over a splinter that continues to stir inflammation and pain under the skin. Medication is misses the opportunity to remove the splinter and resolve the problem from the source. The problem with medications is they don’t address the WHY. Why are you feeling this way? Why is your body creating symptoms that manifest as anxiety or depression? While we never recommend discontinuing any prescribed medication without discussing it with your prescribing doctor, acupuncture can address the WHY while medication provides short term relief if needed.

Depression and anxiety are due to the impact of our modern inflammatory and sedentary lifestyles, processed food diets, and unrelenting stress. With acupuncture and basic lifestyle interventions, we can facilitate your body’s powerful self-healing mechanisms.