A pilot study carried out in America looking at acupuncture for depression, has found it to be a safe, well-tolerated and effective treatment for patients with major depressive disorder (MDD).
Thirty outpatients with MDD (73% female and mean age 47), received acupuncture for eight weeks, either once or twice a week depending on their preference. Depression scores decreased from 19.1 to 9.9 in the once-weekly group, and from 21.9 to 14.3 in the twice-weekly group. The researchers say the results suggest acupuncture has good feasibility in outpatient settings, and that a full controlled trial is warranted.
(A Pilot Study of Acupuncture Monotherapy in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder. Journal of Affective Disorders, accepted March 2012.)
Author: Robin Costello
I offer traditional Chinese acupuncture in Exeter, from a tranquil clinic a mile from the city centre, and next to the University of Exeter. I graduated originally from the London School of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine’s 3 year full time Acupuncture Diploma (DipAc) course. I am on the practitioners register of the British Acupuncture Council (MBAcC), a regulatory and professional body with an entry standard of a full three year undergraduate degree level training.
I have worked in a hospital in south west China, deepening my knowledge and using acupuncture and Chinese massage (tuina) as the treatment of choice in its country of origin. I have taught Chinese medicine in colleges, the NHS and at university level. I also practise Qi Gong, and Chinese dietary therapy, that is the medicinal use of ordinary foods, chosen to help achieve particular therapeutic effects in different individuals.
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