Emotional issues Acupuncture

More people are turning to traditional acupuncture to alleviate symptoms caused by the emotional strains of everyday life.

A recent survey reveals that the tolls of the 21st century are affecting younger people with under-40s seeking traditional acupuncture treatment for emotional issues such as depression, stress and anxiety.

57% of those citing emotional issues are under 40 - a third of who are men.

With people working longer hours and dealing with the economic and social pressures of today, many are finding it hard to cope.

The British Acupuncture Council research revealed that the top three emotional issues for which acupuncture treatment is sought are depression (18%), anxiety (13%) and insomnia (10%) with stress following closely behind.

At least one person in every six becomes depressed in the course of their lives. One in 20 is clinically depressed. Acupuncture is playing a bigger part in the way patients tackle mental health issues.

Depression
Depression is a common mental health problem that affects people of all genders, ages, and backgrounds. About two thirds of adults will at some time experience depression severe enough to interfere with their normal activities (Mintel/YouGov, 2006, Stewart et al, 2004).

Women are twice as likely as men to become depressed (Stewart et al, 2004) partly due to hormone changes occurring pre-menstrually, at menopause, during pregnancy or after childbirth.
Depression is estimated to cost the UK £7.5 billion a year in medication, benefits and lost working days (McCrone et al, 2008). The World Health Organization predicts that by 2020 depression will be second only to chronic heart disease as an international health burden (WHO, 2008).

Although everyone occasionally experiences low mood, these feelings usually pass after a couple of days. When a person has clinical depression, these problems can become chronic or recurrent, interfering with daily life. Depression causes symptoms such as low mood, loss of interest in enjoyable activities, anxiety, irritability low self-esteem, disturbed sleep or appetite, weight change, tiredness, lack of motivation, concentration or libido, physical pain, and suicidal thoughts.

Depression is likely to result from a combination of genetic, biochemical, environmental, and psychological factors. It may be triggered by stressful events, such as bereavement, illness, relationship problems or financial difficulties.

How acupuncture can help
Research has shown that acupuncture treatment can help ameliorate the symptoms of depression. In general, acupuncture is believed to stimulate the nervous system and cause the release of neurochemical messenger molecules. The resulting biochemical changes influence the body's homeostatic mechanisms, thus promoting physical and emotional wellbeing.

Studies indicate that acupuncture can have a specific positive effect on depression by altering the brain’s mood chemistry, increasing production of serotonin (Sprott et al, 1998) and endorphins (Han, 1986). Acupuncture may also benefit depression by acting through other neurochemical pathways, including those involving dopamine (Scott et al, 1997), noradrenaline (Han, 1986), cortisol (Han et al, 2004) and neuropeptide Y (Pohl & Nordin, 2002).

Stimulation of certain acupuncture points has been shown to affect areas of the brain that are known to reduce sensitivity to pain and stress, as well as promoting relaxation and deactivating the ‘analytical’ brain which is responsible for anxiety and worry (Wu et al, 1999).

Some of the most recent research suggests that depression is associated with dysfunction in the way that parts of the resting brain interact with each other (Broyd et al 2008). Acupuncture has been shown to be capable of changing this ‘default mode network’ (Dhond et al, 2007), thus providing another possible mechanism for its beneficial effect on depression.

Acupuncture can be safely combined with conventional medical treatments such as anti-depressants, helping to reduce their side effects and enhance their beneficial effects (Zhang et al, 2007).

Acupuncture treatment can also help resolve physical ailments such as chronic pain (Zhao, 2008), which may be a contributing cause of depression. In addition to offering acupuncture and related therapies, acupuncturists will often make suggestions as to dietary and other lifestyle changes that may be helpful in overcoming depression. Finally, people struggling to cope with depression usually find that coming to see a supportive therapist on a regular basis is helpful in itself.

ARRC The Acupuncture Research Resource Centre.

Acupuncture for emotional issues I have a special interest in this subject in which I have been working succesfully alongside GP's and counsellors to avoid or limitate the intake of medication for patients.

Acupuncture for emotional issues
I have a special interest in this subject in which I have been working succesfully alongside GP's and counsellors to avoid or limitate the intake of medication for patients.