Depression & Acupuncture

Although we all experience a low mood from time to time, these feelings usually last for perhaps a few days and soon after we “re-boot” and get back to our positive selves once again. For someone with depression however, the ability to re-boot and get back to oneself is often a seemingly impossible task. According to a study in 2008 by the World Health Organization (WHO), it is predicted that by the year 2020 depression will be second only to heart disease as an international health burden.

Although there are many factors that contribute to depression, depression is believed to be the result of chemical imbalances in the brain, especially low levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin. Depression is characterized by chronic or recurring symptoms of low mood, irritability, anxiety, insomnia, poor appetite, weight change, fatigue, lack of motivation, loss of libido, aches and pains, an inability to concentrate as well as black emotional episodes and suicidal thoughts.

Obviously not every person with depression will exhibit all of these symptoms. Indeed, depression is commonly divided into three subdivisions of mild, moderate and severe. Acupuncture treatment therefore will depend on the types and severity of symptoms of each person’s depression.

Many people looking to treat their depression turn to Acupuncture and I have treated many such people down through the years. Similar to the actions of anti-depressants, Acupuncture treatment helps to release serotonin in the brain and alleviate symptoms. As a stand alone therapy, Acupuncture, along with other physically therapies such as Massage, is very helpful in successfully treating mild to moderate depressive symptoms. In tandem with Acupuncture & Massage, I often advise exercise and dietary changes also as a way to eliminate and alleviate symptoms.

In cases of severe depression, people who look to Acupuncture for treatment are chronic sufferers and will be on anti-depressant drugs and/or undergoing psychotherapy. In severe depression, Acupuncture has an additive benefit and can be safely combined with conventional medical treatments, helping to reduce their side effects and enhance their therapeutic effects. Many long suffering clients have reported to me that the addition of Acupuncture to their treatment programs has significantly improved their symptoms and reduced the severity, length and frequency of any depressive episodes they have suffered in the past.

If you feel that Acupuncture is something for you in dealing with your depression please don’t hesitate to call us to find out more and to make an appointment.

Stress & Acupuncture

One of the many benefits people feel from their very first acupuncture treatment is a feeling of relaxation and a heightened sense of well-being. In my experience there is no doubt that Acupuncture is a wonderful stress reducer and thus a wonderful form of preventative medicine.

Stress, in and of itself, is not counter-productive to our health. Assuming we have the health to handle physical or emotional stress the saying ‘that which doesn’t kill you makes you stronger’ describes well the importance of stress in our lives to help us grow and achieve.

When stress is short-lived we generally recover quickly. That said however, we can have acute episodes of great stress which have the potential to overwhelm us, or suffer from a state of chronic stress which wears us down gradually, leading to poor health and illness.

Our (sympathetic) nervous system is what helps us deal with stress. Our nervous system is involved in the ‘fight or flight’ response to acute emotional or physical stress. At times of stress, the nervous system secrets a protein, neuropeptide (NPY), which results in constriction of blood flow to all parts of the body except to the heart, lungs and brain. In cases of chronic stress this can cause physical symptoms such as:

• Headaches
• Upset stomach and changes in appetite
• Tense muscles
• Chest pains
• Shortness of breath
• Frequent colds and infections
• Insomnia
• Teeth grinding

There are many emotional and behavioral symptoms associated with stress also:

• Being easily agitated, irritable or moody
• Constant worrying
• Finding it impossible to relax
• Low self-esteem
• Forgetfulness
• Increased use of alcohol and smoking
• Avoidance of others and social situations
• Chronic stress symptoms can lead to elevated blood pressure and cardiac disease.

Studies have found that acupuncture treatment reduces the levels of the NPY protein that is linked to stress. This falls very much in line with my experience of dealing with the various symptoms of stress I see in my clinic. If you’re feeling stressed and are exhibiting any or all of the symptoms listed, please don’t hesitate to call and get yourself back on track to a less stressful and healthier life.

Chronic Fatigue & Acupuncture

The ability to enjoy and live life to the full starts and ends with having the energy to do it. It’s not pleasant to feel exhausted as soon as you wake from a poor night’s sleep, or find you’re running out of steam at work by lunchtime. Life need not be about dragging yourself along from one picker-upper to the next, suffering headaches, stress and low mood before finally crashing in front of the TV after another long and exhausting day.

Without sufficient energy, be it physical, mental or emotional, we lack the basic requirement to produce better, more successful and healthier lives for ourselves. We need energy to bring about the changes we’d like to happen in our health, our work situations and our home life.

A consistent feeling of fatigue can make daily life depressing, worrisome and even terrifying. And with each passing day, these feelings make it seem that your ambitions, hopes & dreams seem further and further away and less and less possible. I often treat people who suffer from daily fatigue, and find that both Acupuncture & Massage help tremendously in resolving the problem. With the new found energy that treatment brings, people’s lives change literally over night, and they begin to make healthier choices for themselves. They no longer spend the better part of their day focused on the negative. Instead of procrastinating or worrying, they concentrate their efforts and emotions into producing positive changes in their lives. The best changes they start with are exercising more and watching how they eat. They become more physically active and treat themselves to food that is well prepared, fresh and a good source of energy. These two changes alone help them not only beat their feelings of fatigue but ultimately keep them always full of energy and leading healthy, happy and successful lives.

If you feel that low energy, poor immunity and daily fatigue is something you need help with please don’t hesitate to call us to find out more and take those first steps to a better and healthier life.