ACUPUNCTURE > Psychosomatic Disorders

Acupuncture therapy used for depression and anxiety has proven effective in reducing symptoms for many patients suffering from these ailments. Alongside prescribed medications, acupuncture has been shown to reduce the frequency and intensity of patient suffering.

Depression and Anxiety

Anxiety is an emotional response to stress where you may feel fearful, worried or apprehensive about something such as starting a new job or doing public speaking.

Furthermore, feelings of dread or panic, and irrational or racing thoughts are common for those with anxiety. Quite often, anxiety sufferers will avoid certain situations or people to prevent an anxiety episode.

Depression, on the other hand, is a prevalent mental disorder and has a profound impact on an individual’s psychological and physical well-being. It is characterized by a persistently depressed mood, loss of interest, energy loss, and cognitive dysfunction.

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Acupuncture alleviates the symptoms

Anxiety and depression are the two most common mood disorders, and about one third of patients do not respond to traditional interventions, such as medication and psychotherapy. Acupuncture is an ancient healing practice that aims at making the entire body well. Thus, it can help alleviate the symptoms of depression and anxiety [1, 2]. There are specific meridians that can be targeted to treat these emotional responses [1]. Consequently, these pathways allow qi, or energy, to travel throughout the body and bring balance to the nervous system and the immune system.

Researchers find that acupuncture combined with antidepressants has greater effect in treating depression and anxiety than either treatment alone [3]. Moreover, there are many benefits to acupuncture therapy, including potential relief from depression and anxiety. In addition, acupuncture is very relaxing and initiates the release of endorphins which are hormones that act as a natural pain killer in the body.

When needles are inserted into sensory nerves just below the skin’s surface, the body stimulates a response in the immune system, which increases circulation to that area of the body and triggers the release of endorphins. Furthermore, acupuncture reduces inflammation, increases our energy levels and bestows upon us a sense of well being. Manual acupuncture and electroacupuncture provide patients with a greater quality of life, as assessed by the World Health Organization’s WHOQOL-BREF scale.

References 

1. Wang T, Deng R, Tan JY, Guan FG. Acupoints Stimulation for Anxiety and Depression in Cancer Patients: A Quantitative Synthesis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2016.
2. Sniezek DP, Siddiqui IJ. Acupuncture for Treating Anxiety and Depression in Women: A Clinical Systematic Review. Med Acupunct. 2013;25(3):164-172.
3. Amir Qaseem, Michael J. Barry, Devan Kansagara et al. Nonpharmacologic Versus Pharmacologic Treatment of Adult Patients With Major Depressive Disorder: A Clinical Practice Guideline From the American College of Physicians. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2016.

Stress can be caused by any disturbing situation or thought that causes frustration, anger or irritation. Anxiety refers to excessive worrying that’s hard to control and often impacts daily life.

Acupuncture reduces stress through a variety of mechanisms.

• It deals primarily with the regulation of one’s vital power, the physical energy known as qi, “Qi”.
• It has significant benefits to the overall functioning of the body.
• It causes relaxation, reduction of tachycardia and blood pressure.
• It creates a sense of calm and serenity, which is of great importance for people in stressful situations.

According to the most up to date evidence, acupuncture is an effective treatment for anxiety and stress. In 2017, The Acupuncture Evidence Project, found that acupuncture had a major effect on reducing anxiety and depression compared to conventional treatment involving pharmacological approaches and psychotherapy, with over twice the reduction in symptoms.

References

• McDonald J, Janz S. The Acupuncture Evidence Project: A Comparative Literature Review. Australian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Association Ltd. 2017.
• Bazzan AJ, Zabrecky G, Monti DA, Newberg AB. Current evidence regarding the management of mood and anxiety disorders using complementary and alternative medicine. Expert Rev Neurother. 2014;14:411- 23.
• Goyata SL, Avelino CC, Santos SV, Souza Junior DI, Gurgel MD, Terra FS. Effects from acupuncture in treating anxiety: integrative review. Rev Bras Enferm. 2016 Jun;69(3):602-9.
• American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th ed. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing. 2013.

Clinical studies have shown that acupuncture has a beneficial effect on insomnia! 

Insomnia is one of the most common sleep disorders, with a prevalence of 40% in adults.  Patients with insomnia may feel tired, tense, lazy, or have delayed reactions, distraction, or headache. Thus, the problem is perpetuated over time, causing chronic fatigue and increasing the likelihood of diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, depression, emotional instability and more.

Signs and Symptoms of sleep disorders:

• excessive daytime sleepiness
• irregular breathing or increased movement during sleep
• irregular sleep and wake cycle and
• difficulty falling asleep.

How Does Acupuncture treat Insomnia?

Not only does acupuncture help with better sleep but also can address those symptoms that are keeping you up at night and get to the root of why those symptoms are occurring in the first place. Traditional acupuncture accesses distinct points on the body to restore balance, alleviate pain, stress and anxiety, enhance sleep, and improve overall well-being. When systemic balance is restored, symptoms disappear and greater overall health is achieved. Acupuncture helps release substances in the brain such as noradrenaline which has an antidepressant action, serotonin which controls stress, β-enkephalin which has a strong analgesic effect etc. Thus, blood pressure and tachycardia are balanced, relaxation is induced and patients feel well and calm. Therefore, the quality of sleep is significantly improved. 

References

• Kim SH, Jeong JH, Lim JH, Kim BK. Acupuncture using pattern-identification for the treatment of insomnia disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Integr Med Res. 2019;8(3):216–226.
• Lin YF, Liu ZD, Ma W, Shen WD. Hazards of insomnia and the effects of acupuncture treatment on insomnia. J Integr Med. 2016 May;14(3):174-86.
• Bergdahl L, Broman JE, Berman AH, Haglund K, von Knorring L, Markström A. Auricular Acupuncture and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia: A Randomised Controlled Study. Sleep Disord. 2016;2016:7057282.
• Fan L, Fu W, Chen Z, Xu N, Liu J, Lü A, Su S, Wu T, Ou A. Curative effect of acupuncture on quality of life in patient with depression: a clinical randomized single-blind placebo-controlled study. J Tradit Chin Med. 2016 Apr;36(2):151-9.