Postpartum depression

Postpartum depression often starts in pregnancy. When used early on, acupuncture treatment may provide prevention.

The advantages of acupuncture for postpartum depression for breastfeeding mothers are profound. Furthermore, it may achieve the same or better effect compared to antidepressant medications and causes no potential harm to the breastfeeding infant. This time tested therapy mobilises your body’s own potential. As a result, it does not produce the adverse effects, as do many antidepressant drugs.

The effects of acupuncture for depression have been well documented.

World Health Organisation on use of acupuncture for depression*:

• “The effect of acupuncture on depression (including depressive neurosis and depression following stroke) has been documented repeatedly in controlled studies (189-194). Acupuncture is comparable with amitriptyline in the treatment of depression but has fewer side-effects. In addition, acupuncture has been found to be more effective in depressive patients with decreased excretion of 3-methyl-4-hydroxy-phenylglycol (the principal metabolite of the central neurotransmitter norepinephrine), while amitriptyline is more effective for those with inhibition in the dexamethasone suppression test (192). “
• “Acupuncture treatment is safe if it is performed properly by a well-trained practitioner. Unlike many drugs, it is non-toxic, and adverse reactions are minimal.”