Q: Why acupuncture can treat depression?

A: Acupuncture has practiced more than two thousand years in China and hundreds of years in the western. Acupuncture can be a very effective alternative to treat depression, anxiety, stress-induced fatigue and emotions swings resulting in long-term benefits.

Since the early eighties, studies around the globe have suggested that treating depression with acupuncture has a positive and holistic effect on depressed patients. Acupuncture treating depression has the benefits included to improve the efficacy, quick onset and reduce the side-effects.

Many researches have indicated acupuncture combined with antidepressant could quick launch the clinical effect, even from the first week of treatment. (Acupuncture in Medicine 2014, http://aim.bmj.com/content/32/4/308).

Q: What’s the mechanism of acupuncture treatment for depression?

A: The most commonly accepted mechanism of acupuncture treatment for depression is acupuncture, sometimes combined with antidepressant, can increase the serotonin levels in the brain. There are other thoughts of mechanism as well.

From the aspect of Chinese medicine, acupuncture, sometimes combined with Chinese herbal medicine, can relax the mind, increase the brain blood supply, regulate the brain spirit disorder, and holistically balance the body systems. 

Q: When and how to reduce the antidepressant when treatment combined with acupuncture?

A: Many researches have indicated acupuncture combined with antidepressant could quick launch the clinical effect, even from the first week of treatment, and can reduce the side-effects of antidepressant, etc. When the patient noticed improvement, and stabilise for 4-6 weeks, it is the good time to gradually reduce the dose of antidepressant, until stop it after 3-6 months. We should notice we are not register medical doctors in the UK, we’d better do not suggest the patient to reduce or even stop antidepressant, but advice the patient to ask their doctors. Most of the doctors are happy to see the improvement of the depression patients and agree to reduce the dose of antidepressant if request.

Q: How long will acupuncture take to improve depression?

A: It depends on person to person. Generically speaking, most patients will notice a difference around the 5 session, some of them even feel better from the first session. For a major depression, not just a stress, most patients will take 20-30 sessions, or 3-6 months, to recovery.

Q: How frequently of the acupuncture treatment do I need to take?

A: Patients are mostly suggested that the best frequency is: 2-3 times per week for the first 3-5 weeks, then once per week for 4-5 weeks, followed by once per month even once 2-3 months for maintenance.

The more frequency acupuncture treatments you have in the early stage, will hasten the start of clinical affection, with or without antidepressant.

Q: What’s development of acupuncture treatment for depression?

A: Acupuncture treatment for depression has the history of more than thousands of years, it is still on developing. One of the developing areas is emphasize the role of brain in the treatment of emotional conditions such depression. Clinically, acupuncture treatment plan for depression are more focus on the points around head and more use of scalp acupuncture and abdominal acupuncture.

Q: What’s the benefit of scalp acupuncture for depression?

A: Scalp acupuncture is one of the modern acupuncture techniques which combined with traditional acupuncture technique and neurological knowledge, particularly the knowledge of brain. Scalp acupuncture stimulate the disease related areas on the head and generate the corresponded brain area’s reaction. It is mostly used on the treatment of neurologic and psychologic conditions and some other brain related conditions. Depression is one of the key conditions that Scalp acupuncture study and clinical application. Scalp acupuncture can directly stimulate the relevant brain area to achieve straightway and effectiveness affection.

Q: What’s the benefit of abdominal acupuncture for depression?

A: Abdominal acupuncture is based on traditional acupuncture theory and the new understanding of ShenQue (RN8) system. Most of abdominal acupuncture points are traditional acupuncture points but with new developing indications, such as RN12 for head and brain. The abdominal is called “the second brain” by some scientists due to its closed related to the brain for its secretion of serotonin etc. Clinically abdominal acupuncture is quite often used together with scalp acupuncture, called “double brain therapy”.  Another benefit of abdominal acupuncture is much less pain or sensation than other acupuncture techniques.

Note: Above Acupuncture for Depression Q&A is based on the requests of colleagues on the understanding of depression and how to answer the questions from depression patients. It is not an academic paper so only use plain words. 

Dr. Tian-Jun Wang, Professor, PhD (www.tjacupuncture.co.uk). Last updated 24/12/2017. Comments and feedbacks are welcome and thanks.