St Albert Physiotherapy Massage Therapy And Acupuncture - The Usage | Page 6

The Link between Depression and Acupuncture
You Never Knew Existed
Acupuncture is a type of alternative medicine involving extremely thin needles being inserted
throughout the body with the objective to trigger pressure points. By doing so, muscle tightness is
relieved, QI flow is stimulated and balance in the body restored. One particular study published in 2013
put the spotlight on the benefits of acupuncture in people with depression. To everyone’s
astonishment, results showed that depression patients can benefits from acupuncture as much as they
do from counselling .
American researchers concluded that one in three patients showed fewer or no signs of depression
symptoms after just three months of either acupuncture or counselling, or the both combined. 755
people with moderate to severe depression were recruited for the study. This marked an important
milestone in acupuncture studies being one of the largest of its kind. Participants were randomized in
three groups:302 received 12 weekly acupuncture sessions, the second group of 302 received weekly
counselling sessions and the remaining 151 received usual care only.
Patients from the first two groups reported significant improvements in their condition and had an
overall pain reduction. However promising these results may be, the researchers stressed the
importance of medicines as well. Since no two depression patients are alike, what this study has done
was to shed light on a new care option for people who have not been responding to their current
standard of care. They also show potential as complimentary therapies to ensure in the future patients
can have an integrated treatment plan and that each individual case can receive a 360 approach.