Learn More About Acupuncture Research
Depression
Depression is a common mental health problem that affects people of all genders, ages, and backgrounds. About two thirds of adults will at some time experience depression severe enough to interfere with normal activities (Mintel/ YouGov. 2006, Stewart et al 2004).
The World Health Organization predicts that by 2020, depression will be second only to chronic heart disease as an international health burden (WHO, 2008.)
Studies indicate that acupuncture can have a specific positive effect on depression by altering the brain's mood chemistry, increasing production of serotonin (Sprott 1998) and endorphins (Wang 2010). Acupuncture may also benefit depression by acting through other neurochemical pathways, including those involving dopamine (Scott 1997), noradrenaline (Hand 1986), cortisol (Han 2004) and neuropeptide Y (Pohl 2002).
Anxiety
Anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, phobias, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). They can be chronic and cause considerable distress and disability; if left untreated, are costly to both the individual and society (NICE 2007). As well as emotional symptoms such as worry, disturbed sleep, irritability and poor concentration, anxiety can cause physical symptoms such as sweating, nausea, diarrhea, dry mouth, palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, cold hands, muscle tension and aches, trembling and twitching (American Psychiatric Association, 2000; WHO 2007).
Research has shown that acupuncture treatment may specifically benefit anxiety disorders and symptoms of anxiety by:
- Acting on areas of the brain known to reduce sensitivity to pain and stress, as well as promoting relaxation and deactivating the 'analytical' brain, which is responsible for anxiety and worry (Hui 2010).
- Regulating levels of neurotransmitters (or their modulators) and hormones such as serotonin, noradrenaline, dopamine, GABA, neuropeptide Y and ACTH; hence altering the brain's mood chemistry to help combat negative affective states (Lee 2009; Samuels 2008, Zhou 2008, Yuan 2007).
- Stimulating production of endogenous opioids that affect the autonomic nervous system (Arranz 2007). Stress activates the sympathetic nervous system, while acupuncture and activate the opposing parasympathetic nervous system, which initiates the relaxation response.
- Reversing pathological changes in levels of inflammatory cytokines that are associated with anxiety (Arranz 2007).
- Reversing stress-induced changes in behavior and biochemistry (Kim 2009).
Substance Abuse
Acupuncture is used extensively, and worldwide, in substance abuse treatment centers. This stems from the development of a simple 5-point-auricular acupuncture protocol and New York's Lincoln Hospital in the 1970s, originally for drug users but subsequently extended to tobacco, alcohol and other addictive substances and behaviors. The protocol was designed to operate within Western health settings and mutual peer support systems, not as an isolated treatment.
Treatment programs to help people with drug and alcohol problems include a range of individualized psychosocial interventions, such as counseling, self-help groups, and rehabilitation programs, in addition to medication.
Stress Reduction
1986), cortisol (Han 2004) and The signs of stress can vary from one individual to the next. They may manifest physically as an illness, tiredness or lethargy, or as symptoms such as sore, tight muscles, or erratic sleep patterns. Mental stress can result in depression, mood swings, anger, frustration, confusion, paranoid behavior, jealousy, or withdrawal.
In general, acupuncture is believed to stimulate the nervous system and cause the release of neurochemical messenger molecules. The resulting biochemical changes influence the body's homeostatic
mechanisms, thus promoting physical and emotional well-being.