For many years acupuncture has been used to treat many diseases. Recently acupuncture has gained popularity in the United Kingdom, the United States and other parts of the world and many have taken acupuncture treatments in the past couple of years.
Many individuals have seen the positive impacts of acupuncture on their mental health including anxiety and depression. When you don’t find relief with the regular treatments available, you can try acupuncture and avail many health benefits.
What is Acupuncture?
In Acupuncture, hair size thin needles are inserted in the affected part of the body. Acupuncture in Bromley and other parts is used to treat a wide range of health issues and the needles are inserted accordingly. Below are some health conditions where Acupuncture can be useful:
Persistent Pain
Menstrual Pain
Joint Pain
Fertility
Body Pain
Anxiety
Depression
The health of the body is regulated by the energy flow, a belief of traditional Chinese medicine. You feel uncomfortable when this flow is imbalanced. The health condition can be improved by balancing the flow with the help of needles by applying it to certain affected parts.
Depression
Depression is a condition where the patient remains in a state of unhappiness for a longer period of duration. Below are some of the other symptoms:
- Unbalanced sleeping
- Loss of appetite
- Loss of temperament
- Trouble in focusing
- Feeling of unwell
- Feeling of exhausting
Many people affected by depression are provided acupuncture and other alternative medicine. In the United Kingdom, many people are taking acupuncture just to treat depression.
How Does Acupuncture Affect Depression
There are not enough studies that show a direct effect of acupuncture on depression. But this limited research supports the benefits of acupuncture for treating anxiety and depression.
There was a study on more than 150 men and women which showed that after 8 weeks of acupuncture treatment, the symptoms of acupuncture were decreased. Some were given acupuncture in the targeted area while some in the non-targeted area, but both benefited from the treatment.
There was another study which found the effect of acupuncture similar to an antidepressant drug known as fluoxetine.
Many people suffering from depression also have the symptoms of migraines. Also, some research has shown that the chances of migraines are much higher for people suffering from depression when compared to those who don’t have headaches.
There was a study on a few people for 5 months that showed that people who were taking regular acupuncture treatment had less frequent migraines.
More than 15% of women are either suffering from depression or anxiety. Some women are also depressed due to the pregnancy. During pregnancy, depression can negatively impact the health of the mother and child.
Also, many people fear taking antidepressants and find alternative medicine for treating depression during pregnancy. Acupuncture can positively treat depression during pregnancy.
There was a group study on pregnant women. One group received targeted area acupuncture treatment; another group received non-targeted acupuncture treatment, and the last group received prenatal massages. The first group that received targeted acupuncture treatment has a much higher positive impact for treating depression symptoms compared to other groups.
Top Reasons for Choosing Acupuncture for Depression and Anxiety
Acupuncture can help positively for people suffering from anxiety and depression. One study shows that 2 months of acupuncture treatment can reduce the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Following are the ways that can help to relieve the anxiety symptoms:
- Relaxing the mind
- Increasing the level of the happy hormone
- Reducing cortisol which is a stress hormone
- Improving the system of the nervous system
The use of acupuncture has been increased in the past few years to treat depression and anxiety. This treatment has been used for years to treat various diseases.
Most of the sessions of acupuncture last for about 1/2 hour. When all the needles are placed on the focused area then the person offering treatment moves them with or passes an electric current to improve the neurochemical activity in the body. A certified acupuncture practitioner has knowledge about the point related to anxiety and depression which can be stimulated to relieve the symptoms.
