Acupuncture and the Treatment of Mild to Severe Depression

By Eugene Spence Lic. Ac., Dipl. Ac.

Winter is the season when people have the most trouble with feeling down and depressed. The lack of sunlight and the feelings of “Cabin Fever” are factors that can bring this on. Episodes of mild depression or just feelings of being in a “low” mood are normal at this time of year.

Luckily there are now treatments that have been proven to greatly reduce and even eliminate the symptoms of mild to moderate depression. There are now medications that have been shown to be effective in lessening these symptoms. Unfortunately, there can be a significant downside to the use of medications as the primary treatment protocol. These medications can have major side effects for many who take them, and many people decide to stop their medications altogether because of this.

More natural alternatives to these medications have been useful to help with these problems such as dietary therapy, meditation, exercise, herbal remedies, yoga and acupuncture just to name a few. These modalities have been proven in clinical trials to be effective in lessening depressive symptoms. 

Sadly, there are people with more severe forms of depression who do need medication as their primary therapy. This is sometimes because of physiological problems or other foundational issues like PTSD, bipolar disorder or other issues that do not respond to the more the natural approaches. A mental health professionals help is always needed in cases of severe depression. Natural therapies of any kind should never to be the only modality for these more severe cases, but they can be a very beneficial addition to the overall treatment plan.  I will not treat any severe case of depression without written proof that the patient is under the care of licensed therapist.     

The problem that can undermine the success of most of these alternative therapies is the very nature of the problem itself. One of the most difficult things for a depressed person to do is to do anything. They sometimes feel unable to motivate themselves to go for a run or do a yoga class because the disease itself hampers that kind of motivation. Sometimes there has to be something that breaks that cycle of depressive inactivity. This could be medications but for many with mild to moderate depression this is not a desirable first step. 

One modality that has been shown to be at least as beneficial and, in many cases, even more beneficial than medications for the treatment of mild to moderate depression is acupuncture. It is a passive treatment modality in other words the patient has only to show up and lay down on the treatment table. When a patient is relieved of a significant amount of their depression with acupuncture they feel freed up to pursue more self-motivated activities that have to be shown to keep depression at bay. When the depressed person incorporates these activities into their regular daily routine they can begin to move out of feeling stuck and start to take charge of their life and set and achieve life goals. In other words, they can start to find real happiness and purpose.

Acupuncture in itself is not a long-term solution. Very few people have the financial resources to afford this as a primary ongoing therapy, but it has been proven to be an effective first step in the ultimate recovery for people afflicted with this condition. I personally suggest that my depressed patients use a layered approach. This can be done by taking on natural and healthy lifestyles one at a time. This gradual approach is less overwhelming, so they are less likely to give up or feel defeated.  It is my fundamental belief that acupuncture can be the best first step in that process of feeling “right’ again. it has been my experience that people who do use medications and talk therapy as their primary treatments have had greatly improved results by including acupuncture in their treatment plan

I have had many patients in my 20 years of practice that came in to be treated for pain issues or other ailments tell me that their mood had vastly improved. This is because acupuncture as opposed to most of conventional medicines, treat the whole person not just the presenting symptoms. In the human system everything is intertwined in a matrix of form and function so that when I treat one condition, amazingly all aspects of disharmony and pathology are positively affected. That is why when a person comes in to be treated for depression they are astounded to discover that they no longer have migraines or back pain.  Conversely when I treat pain symptoms, depression and other emotional problems are improved.

Acupuncture is intended to determine and treat the underlying causes of any physical and emotional problems. This can in many instances be all that is needed to address the actual presenting symptoms any therapies that consider only the presenting syndrome in their therapeutic approach rarely achieve lasting or meaningful results. It has been my experience that the best tactic in truly getting the patient better in cases of serious or acute illness or injury is to combine conventional and alternative therapies. I have found that for most chronic conditions utilizing alternative healing approaches yield the best results. Among all of the natural modalities that have been researched using clinical trials, acupuncture has the best track record in achieving verifiable positive outcomes.  

During its five thousand plus history, acupunctures focus has always been the health and healing of the whole person and this principal is just as true today. Whether it is a pain in the toe or full-blown clinical depression all of the problems of the person being treated are addressed and benefited by this time-tested approach to medicine.