Treatment
Stress
stress
Depression and Acupuncture – A new hope for relief
by Indira Samayoa
Symptoms of Depression
Depression is a mood disorder characterized by both physical and psychological symptoms that can be detrimental to one’s normal daily functioning. Depressed individuals often suffer from poor sleeping habits, crying spells, anxiety, worry, poor memory, inability to concentrate, body aches, stomach disturbances and a lack of interest in activities previously enjoyed. In extreme cases, individuals become helpless and hopeless about their lives and suicide is often considered.
Modern Treatment for Depression
Modern medicine typically treats depression with a form of psychotherapy and/or anti-depressant drugs regardless of the specific symptoms presented by the depressed patient. In the United States, the DSM-IV, a diagnostic tool for appropriately categorizing psychological disorders, is widely used in the diagnosis and treatment for depression.
How Chinese Medicine Views Depression
In contrast, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) does not recognize depression as a particular illness per se, but it aims to treat the specific symptoms that are unique to the individual using a variety of techniques such as acupuncture, Chinese herbs, tui-na massage, and energetic exercises to restore imbalances found in the body.
Based on a holistic approach, acupuncture consists of fine needles inserted along various points in the body, with the purpose of stimulating the body’s flow of energy and functionality, known as Qi. Though acupuncture has been traditionally taught as a preventive form of health care, it has also been proven effective in the treatment of pain and chronic conditions.
Studies of Acupuncture for Depression
Since the early nineties, studies around the globe have suggested that treating depression with acupuncture has a positive and holistic effect on depressed patients, particularly when used in combination with psychotherapy and herbal treatments.
Psychologist John Allen, from the University of Arizona in Tucson, and Acupuncturist Rosa Schnyer, conducted the very first pilot controlled study on treating depression symptoms with acupuncture in the Western scientific world. In a double blind randomized study, 34 depressed female patients who met the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria were assigned to one of three treatment groups for eight weeks.
The first group received acupuncture treatment specifically tailored to their depression symptoms. The second group received a general acupuncture treatment not specific to depression, and the third group was placed on a waiting list for acupuncture treatment, but received no treatment. The study found that those in the tailored acupuncture treatment experienced a significant reduction in symptoms, compared to those in the non-specific treatment. Moreover, over 50% of the participants no longer met the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for depression after the study.
The study findings suggest that using acupuncture alone could be as effective as other types of treatments for relieving depression symptoms typically used in Western medicine, such as psychotherapy and drugs. While these results are promising and the United Nations World Health Organization has approved acupuncture as a treatment for depression, further clinical trials with larger samples are deemed necessary to endorse this new hope for relief.
Sources:
Allen, J. J. B. (2000). Depression and acupuncture: a controlled clinical trial. Psychiatric Times Online, 22, 3.
Tian, C. H. (2002). Acupuncture treatment for depression. New England Journal of Traditional Medicine, 1, 4-7.
Acupuncture treatment for Insomnia
Rather than attempting to sedate like western sleeping pills, Chinese medicine seeks to find the cause of the insomnia and treat it from the root. By discerning what the actual problem is, whether that be inability the to fall asleep, restless sleep, nightmares etc, this and other observations allow the practitioner to distinguish how the body has become imbalanced. Appropriate treatment can then be administered.
The treatment of insomnia may often involve looking into various areas of a persons life; diet, exercise, work and home stresses, and constitutional factors can all have an effect on sleep patterns. Lifestyle changes can often have a dramatic effect.
In our clinical experience, many patients experience a good improvement in their sleep pattern even if this was not the condition that treatment was sought for!
Stress Related Conditions
In other parts of the world, stress is described as a western disease. With our busy lives, stress now seems an inevitable part of daily life. Whether it be work, personal relationships or even keep up hectic social schedules, there is often very little time to truly relax.
Tension across the shoulders, headaches, short temperedness, insomnia, tiredness, aches and pains, digestive disorders or pmt are all made worse when the body is stressed.
When something stresses us, our qi stagnates. If something annoys us, it makes the body tense. This impedes the free flow of energy, blood and qi and problems occur. When this smooth flow is re-established, we feel relaxed and whatever imbalance was previously caused is restored.
The movement of qi and the ability to relax the body is one of acupuncture’s best attributes. Acupuncture leaves the majority of patients feel “chilled out”, “serene”, “spaced out” or simply very relaxed. For this reason many patients continue to come for acupuncture long after their original complaint has gone.
Acupuncture Treatment for Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Irritable bowel syndrome is a condition which has become much more prevalent in recent years. A recent modern condition in western terms, this has been recognized and treated for thousands of years with Chinese Medicine.
Within Chinese medicine this condition refers to a disharmony between the Liver and Spleen. Symptoms commonly associated with this condition include :
- Worse for Stress
- Worse after eating particular things
- Alternating diarrhea and constipation
- Worse for emotional turmoil
- Loose stools or hard pebble-like stools
- Constipation
Since this is a functional problem rather than a structural problem with the digestive tract, acupuncture is a good treatment choice along with appropriate dietary and lifestyle advice.
IBS is known as ‘Liver invading the Spleen’ in Chinese medicine. The function of the Liver is to ensure the smooth circulation of Qi around the body and by doing this it aids all the other organs in their functions. When the Liver is out of balance then it can upset other organs, and in this case the Spleen, (i.e. the digestive system). The Liver is particularly affected by stress, anger, bitterness, frustration, and resentment. Excessive stress and lack of exercise will cause the energy (Qi) of the Liver to stagnate and this in turn will affect other organs. When the liver qi stagnates, this causes constipation and while the spleen qi is weak, this causes diarrhea. It is the disharmony between these two that explains that alternation between constipation and diarrhea.
So why are some people affected and not others? If the digestive system (Spleen in Chinese medicine) is strong then it is still able to function adequately even though the Liver maybe out of balance. In other words, for IBS to occur there needs to be an imbalance in both the Liver and the Spleen (digestive system). Thus, to treat IBS it is important to smooth the flow of the Liver’s energy and to strengthen the digestive process. Along with acupuncture, this will involve eating food which is easier for the body to digest. Often stress is unavoidable but there are ways to help ourselves cope better and the main one is exercise.
IBS is a much used term now for a whole variety of digestive disorders. It seems that it is often given as a diagnosis when nothing else can be found. This means I have seen a large variety of patients with this diagnosis that present with symptoms such as bloating, nausea, diarrhea, constipation or abdominal pain. Chinese medicine is more refined in this case and distinguish these clearly as differing problems. For this reason acupuncture and Chinese medicine can get good results in treating IBS. It is important to note that with all digestive disorders, appropriate diet and lifestyle changes may be necessary.
Irritable bowel syndrome can be treated effectively with acupuncture, herbal medicine or a combination of both.
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Endometriosis
Endometriosis is an increasingly diagnosed condition in the west. This is partly because of increased frequency of diagnostic surgery (laparoscopy) but also to deferred child bearing and increasing environmental pollutants.
Endometriosis can take many forms but is often characterized by painful periods with dark menstrual blood and clotting.
There may be palpable nodules or masses in the abdomen. Sometimes there is no bothersome symptoms such as pain but a key diagnostic can often be spotting before periods. It can also be indicated by certain patterns in the change of Basal Body Temperature.Endometriosis is one of the main causes of infertility although the reason for this is uncertain.
Chinese medicine views endometriosis largely as stagnation of blood in the uterus. The blood and endometrium which should be shed cleanly with each period is not done so properly. This leads to the congealing and clotting of the blood in the uterus. As the natural flow is further hindered by this clotting, the endometrial tissue finds its way into areas it shouldn’t causing the problem. For successful and long term treatment, it may be necessary to track the problem back further to find out the cause of this blood stagnation.
Treatment with herbal medicine and acupuncture can be very effective in treating endometriosis for both improving the menstrual cycle and the chances of conceiving.
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
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Endometriosis
Endometriosis is an increasingly diagnosed condition in the west. This is partly because of increased frequency of diagnostic surgery (laparoscopy) but also to deferred child bearing and increasing environmental pollutants.
Endometriosis can take many forms but is often characterized by painful periods with dark menstrual blood and clotting.
There may be palpable nodules or masses in the abdomen. Sometimes there is no bothersome symptoms such as pain but a key diagnostic can often be spotting before periods. It can also be indicated by certain patterns in the change of Basal Body Temperature.Endometriosis is one of the main causes of infertility although the reason for this is uncertain.
Chinese medicine views endometriosis largely as stagnation of blood in the uterus. The blood and endometrium which should be shed cleanly with each period is not done so properly. This leads to the congealing and clotting of the blood in the uterus. As the natural flow is further hindered by this clotting, the endometrial tissue finds its way into areas it shouldn’t causing the problem. For successful and long term treatment, it may be necessary to track the problem back further to find out the cause of this blood stagnation.
Treatment with herbal medicine and acupuncture can be very effective in treating endometriosis for both improving the menstrual cycle and the chances of conceiving.
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
