It appears that the most effective treatment for depression is medication. After all it works. I've used medication for both depression and anxiety and have had phenomenal success in both cases. However, I prefer to use natural remedies whenever possible because medications do have side effects and also introduce toxic elements into the body.



So what about acupuncture and depression? The good news is there is some scientific research that supports the effectiveness of acupuncture in decreasing the severity of depression in patients. Remember that medical research doesn't really 'prove' anything, it just supports claims. It is really hard to conclusively prove claims.

Anyway, this study was conducted by the National Institute of Health in 1998. I will not bore you with the design of the study. You can look up the study and read that for yourself. I'll just share the results it found on acupuncture and depression. In this controlled experiment, all the participants that received acupuncture for depression collectively experienced a 43% reduction in their depression symptoms, which was 21% greater than the dummy control group. This suggests that the acupuncture did something for the depression symptoms.

Theory on acupuncture and depression is this. Acupuncture states that there are energy pathways in the body called meridians. Various illnesses occur when these meridians become blocked. The acupuncturist attempts to unblock the clogged up meridians by inserting needles into certain points along these meridians. When the energy is allowed to flow again, the symptoms of the illness subside. And so it is with acupuncture and depression.

If you don't like needles but are interested in the possibilities of acupuncture and depression, there is a form of acupressure that has been found to be equally successful. No needles here. It merely involves correctly tapping certain points on special meridians with your finger tips. The best thing about this approach is you can do it yourself. You don't need to pay a professional to do it for you. Although, that option does exist.

In any event, there is a lot of promise for acupuncture and depression. With the help of a qualified psychologist you can get your symptoms under control.