does accupuncture work for depression/anxiety?
955981
Acupuncture is wonderful.  It has helped every ailment I've had, including anxiety/depression/back pain/trauma.  Several sessions do the trick.  It doesn't hurt at all.  It is very relaxing.
855774
I decided to tell you about my experience with acupuncture even though it doesn't directly answer your question, hoping that it may be of some value to you.\n\nI had acupuncture for chronic fatigue syndrome in the early 90s. I asked about it when I was going to a pain clinic that claimed to offer it last year, and was told that "if you want acupuncture you should go to somebody who does it every day." (So why did they advertise it, dangit?)\n\nFWIW, acupuncture did help me with the CFS back then. I still have it, but I was able to return to work for a time. I went to a traditional Chinese medicine doctor who was also an MD. He wouldn't begin with the needles, though - TCM practitioners don't, generally. They start with an interview, then herbal treatments. \n\nAnd let me warn you, their "herbs" are not what we're accustomed to seeing all cleaned up and put in pills in a bottle! No, he scooped a bunch of things out of jars into a paper bag, things that looked like they just came off the ground in the forest, and gave me instructions for brewing tea from them!\n\nAnyway, I used the tea for a week or so, then returned for two sessions of acupuncture. The needles are incredibly fine - I really couldn't feel them unless I seriously concentrated, and I'm very sensitive (I already had fibromyalgia then, too, though it wasn't disabling as it is now). \n\nYes, I'd do it again if I could find that doctor again - even the icky tea. \n\nGood luck, and I hope you find relief soon.
964403
Anxiety can be cured with cognitive therapy for sure.  Anxiety and depression are often found together.  If they are coupled, anxiety is often the primary disorder with depression being a result of it.  Clinical depression can be cured with cognitive therapy as well; the reason drugs are used more is because cognitive therapy is sometimes grueling hard work that some doctors and patients don't want to deal with.  Be very critical of anti-depressants because they can cause suicidal thoughts.
335501
go to acupuncture.com and check it out it should have links to other sites w/ more info......it does work
425545
Hi there.\nI treat anxiety everyday using this particular method with extremely good result. See this link and read on it for yourself http://www.jentleearthhealing.com/tft.html . If this rings true with you simply contact me and I will put you in touch with a therapist in your area.\n\nCraig - Naturopath.
601668
St Johns Wart can help with depression if you wanna try and OTC product, otherwise seek counselling or a psychiatrist
434081
yoga and accupuncture have worked for me. I used to be a cutter myself.
820535
While eating healthy is the best way to lose weight, acupuncture does help with reducing the appetite and stress/anxiety related to over eating.  I'm a Licensed Acupuncturist and recently did advanced training in China.  In the hospital I studied, they treated many patients for weight loss with good success, and most of the patients had treatments at least three times a week.
1039334
According to western medicine, no.  however Acupuncture has been having amazing success (complete remission)
528939
They are based on acupuncture and they don't work. Acupuncture doesn't work through round-the-clock stimulation like that. You would just become desensitized to that point.
898966
You had better trust a vascular surgeon. Accupuncture has no answer for you.
267258
St. John's wort worked for my wife, didn't work for me, but it's a place to start.\n\nI was almost certainly clinically depressed for a while in college and toughed it out instead of getting help, which I've decided was a mistake.  I had a relapse a few years ago and got counseling, but I resisted anti-depressants for over a year.  It was totally irrational, and I regret stalling.  Judging by how I reacted to going on and off the meds, it was obvious I had a chemical imbalance, and being ashamed of them or resistant to them was as foolish as a diabetic refusing insulin.  I did not become dependent and I tapered off after a couple of years.\n\nIf you're opposed because of potential side effects, keep in mind that the arsenal of anti-depressants has increased in recent years, so it's more likely than ever that you can find something without serious side effects.\n\nAlso keep in mind that depression that doesn't go away in a reasonable time is terrible for other aspects of your health, so toughing it out with exercise and comedies can jeopardize other systems in your body.
73414
People with a variety of ailments would be likely to get acupuncture:\n\n"Today, the World Health Organization recognizes more than 40 conditions which may be treated with acupuncture. Some of those problems include arthritis, back pain, neck pain, headaches, constipation or diarrhea, addiction, insomnia, depression, anxiety, toothache, premenstrual syndrome, and infertility."
287724
To dismiss professional acupuncture as a placebo serves no other purpose than to show ones ignorance of the subject. Many professional medical studies have proven beyond doubt it's effectiveness in the relief of pain and stress. The only reason public doubts have arisen is due to what is termed as 'sham acupunctute', which have very little connection to the original practice developed in China. \n\nAcupuncture is one of the oldest, most commonly used medical procedures in the world. Originating in China more than 2,000 years ago, acupuncture began to become better known in the United States in 1971, when New York Times reporter James Reston wrote about how doctors in China used needles to ease his pain after surgery.\n\nThe term acupuncture describes a family of procedures involving stimulation of anatomical points on the body by a variety of techniques. American practices of acupuncture incorporate medical traditions from China, Japan, Korea, and other countries. The acupuncture technique that has been most studied scientifically involves penetrating the skin with thin, solid, metallic needles that are manipulated by the hands or by electrical stimulation.\n\nThe following is an excerpt from the NCCAM health website...\n\nAcupuncture is one of the key components of the system of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). In the TCM system of medicine, the body is seen as a delicate balance of two opposing and inseparable forces: yin and yang. Yin represents the cold, slow, or passive principle, while yang represents the hot, excited, or active principle. Among the major assumptions in TCM are that health is achieved by maintaining the body in a "balanced state" and that disease is due to an internal imbalance of yin and yang. This imbalance leads to blockage in the flow of qi (vital energy) along pathways known as meridians. It is believed that there are 12 main meridians and 8 secondary meridians and that there are more than 2,000 acupuncture points on the human body that connect with them.\n\nPreclinical studies have documented acupuncture's effects, but they have not been able to fully explain how acupuncture works within the framework of the Western system of medicine that is commonly practiced in the United States.9-14 It is proposed that acupuncture produces its effects through regulating the nervous system, thus aiding the activity of pain-killing biochemicals such as endorphins and immune system cells at specific sites in the body. In addition, studies have shown that acupuncture may alter brain chemistry by changing the release of neurotransmitters and neurohormones and, thus, affecting the parts of the central nervous system related to sensation and involuntary body functions, such as immune reactions and processes that regulate a person's blood pressure, blood flow, and body temperature.15,16\n\nhttp://nccam.nih.gov/health/acupuncture/#work\n\nResearch carried out in the field of acupuncture has proven that if the practice is carried out by a professional in the field of the original Chinese art of acupuncture then it's effectiveness is undeniable. Clearly your practitioner is well versed in this art as it's effects clearly show, and she should be commended for her professionalism.\n\nMore information can be found at these websites...\nhttp://members.rediff.com/therapies/acpwork.htm\nhttp://www.lhj.com/lhj/story.jhtml?storyid=/templatedata/lhj/story/data/Harvard_acupuncture_12152002.xml&catref=cat460027\nhttp://www.rzuser.uni-heidelberg.de/~yzhao/acu_work.html\nhttp://www.biancastroll.com/faq.html\n\nI'm glad to hear that acupuncture is working for you Libby, and I hope you continue with the treatment. In days where medication and quick-fixes are too often resorted to, it is refreshing to see that traditional art-forms such as acupuncture are still the best remedy available.
111704
St. John's Wort is effective for depression; you may want to ask an herbologist to get a complete answer.
15805
I have hears numerous times that saint johns wort works, but honestly you should try and figure out why you are depressed and talk to your Dr. about it. There are many medications both short term and long term that can help.
616255
You definitely need to see a doctor before it gets worse to determine whether therapy, medication or both are the best route for you to take. Also, a quick fix that I found is eating dark chocolate - it gave me just enough to get over the depression feelings - but it doesn't last long - maybe a couple hours max.\n\n\nwww.mommastayshome.com