Acupuncture to relieve depression and address Seasonal Affected Disorder (S.A.D.)
"I have treated many patients with several degrees of depression, ranging from S.A.D., to those suffering from depression with anxiety and or insomnia and I am always amazed at how great acupuncture works. Some of my patients have been able to get off their medications after a few weeks of treatments.There are many studies showing the incredible effectiveness of acupuncture for depression. Below is just one example. If you have questions, feel free to call me or send me an e-mail." Clara
In 1998, the NIH's Office of Alternative Medicine funded a study at the University of Arizona. Working with acupuncturist Rosa Schnyer, John Allen PhD devised a 16-week trial on 34 seriously depressed women. First the two worked up a standard treatment plan that targeted certain "depression points" on the body. Then they devised a dummy treatment calling for needles in nonspecific places. The acupuncturists administering the treatment had no idea whether they were using the real plan or the dummy plan.
Then the subjects were divided into three groups. The first group received the depression-specific acupuncture, the second group got the dummy treatment, and the third group was put on a wait list before being placed on eight weeks of the real thing.
Following the treatment, the depression-specific groups experienced a 53 percent reduction in their symptoms compared with a 19 percent reduction for the dummy group. More than half no longer met the criteria for clinical depression. Only five people dropped out of the study - two who moved away, one who became pregnant, and two who didn't like the needles. The dropout rate was much lower than for studies using medications.
Two advantages of acupuncture, Dr Allen told a seminar at the National Depressive and Manic Depressive Association Conference in Boston, include no language barrier (a factor for patients who have difficulty speaking English), and its low cost compared to conventional treatment.
Many more studies have been done in China and Europe and Acupuncture and depression and anxiety, this is just one of many.
In 1998, the NIH's Office of Alternative Medicine funded a study at the University of Arizona. Working with acupuncturist Rosa Schnyer, John Allen PhD devised a 16-week trial on 34 seriously depressed women. First the two worked up a standard treatment plan that targeted certain "depression points" on the body. Then they devised a dummy treatment calling for needles in nonspecific places. The acupuncturists administering the treatment had no idea whether they were using the real plan or the dummy plan.
Then the subjects were divided into three groups. The first group received the depression-specific acupuncture, the second group got the dummy treatment, and the third group was put on a wait list before being placed on eight weeks of the real thing.
Following the treatment, the depression-specific groups experienced a 53 percent reduction in their symptoms compared with a 19 percent reduction for the dummy group. More than half no longer met the criteria for clinical depression. Only five people dropped out of the study - two who moved away, one who became pregnant, and two who didn't like the needles. The dropout rate was much lower than for studies using medications.
Two advantages of acupuncture, Dr Allen told a seminar at the National Depressive and Manic Depressive Association Conference in Boston, include no language barrier (a factor for patients who have difficulty speaking English), and its low cost compared to conventional treatment.
Many more studies have been done in China and Europe and Acupuncture and depression and anxiety, this is just one of many.
