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How acupuncture helps with depression

Did you know that depression is not only a psychological/psychiatric condition? Recent studies have shown that it has a physiological manifestation in the brain. Scientists found that depressed patients have higher levels proteins called cytokines. These proteins have an ability to trigger inflammation in your body and make you feeling down, lethargic, and sleepy.

Acupuncture effective treatment for depression

Acupuncture has been found to be an effective treatment for depression, especially for patients who have treatment resistant depression. According to a recent study(systematic review and meta-analysis) acupuncture combined with antidepressant medication can lead to has an early results, are safe and well-tolerated over the first 6-week treatment period. Moreover, this combination of treatments has been shown to be more effective than just using antidepressant medication alone.

So how does acupuncture for depression work?

Well, previous experimental studies found that acupuncture can actually reduce cytokine levels in chronic headache patients. And research on rodents has shown that it can reduce cytokine levels in the brain.

Vagus nerve connects the organs to the brain. And acupuncture can directly reduce the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines via this nerve. And long term treatments can reduce inflammation by increasing levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines. To achieve this you need 3 or more months of acupuncture done correctly at correct frequency. This doesn’t only benefit depression. In fact, inflammation has been linked to heart disease, increased the risk of cancer. Inflammation affects your sleep, makes it harder to lose weight, increases bone loss, damages your gums. By reducing inflammation, you can improve your overall health and well-being.

There are a few different theories about how acupuncture benefits depression, but the cytokine theory seems to be one of the most promising. So if you’re struggling with depression or just want to take proactive steps to improve your health, consider trying acupuncture.

5 New Discoveries about how Acupuncture helps Fertility

Are you struggling to conceive? Recent studies have revealed the incredible mechanism behind fertility acupunctures‘ ability to improve IVF success rates.

Here is a summary of the most interesting discoveries.

Acupuncture perfects the uterine lining

A triple-line pattern uterine lining is associated with better IVF success, and acupuncture can help. Studies show that this traditional therapy significantly enhances the chances of developing this type of uterine lining, increasing your chances of a successful pregnancy naturally or with IVF.

Improves blood supply

In addition to improving blood flow to ovaries, Acupuncture is also known to improve blood supply to the uterine lining, which is crucial for successful conception. Research has shown that even uterine vascularisation can improve after just three months of treatment, highlighting the benefits of this ancient therapy.

Increases uterine receptivity

Acupuncture has been found to boost the expression of the HOXA10 protein in the uterine lining, which plays a crucial role in endometrial development and implantation of an embryo. This time-tested therapy can improve uterine receptivity. This maybe of a particular value to women with conditions is lowered such as endometriosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), and hydrosalpinx.

Regulates sugar levels

Acupuncture can help regulate sugar levels, which is especially vital for women with polycystic ovarian syndrome and diabetes. This traditional therapy can benefit a wide range of patients and help balance their hormone levels.

Optimises ovarian volume and AMH

If you’re dealing with PCOS, acupuncture can help normalise ovarian volume and AMH levels.

How many sessions are needed?

If you’re considering acupuncture for fertility, just one session could already make a difference. However, for more measurable results, it’s recommended to commit to at least 18 sessions or three months of treatment.

Contact Dr Vitalis to discuss your situation or learn more about reproductive and IVF acupuncture.

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Insomnia – brain imaging studies show how acupuncture helps

A few weeks ago, I shared with you how brain imaging can help us understand how acupuncture works. And now I came across a fascinating study about using acupuncture for insomnia and sleep deprivation.

The study, conducted by JiaoTong university in China, focused on just one acupuncture point on the leg that has been shown to help alleviate insomnia. To test if it really made a difference, the researchers used another area on the same leg, only 2 centimetres away from the real acupoint. To further help to understand the effect of acupuncture they scanned people who were not sleep deprived but received the same treatment.

You can see the results on the image above for yourself. The first horizontal row shows the brain of students who received stimulation when they weren’t sleep deprived. The second row is where we can see significant changes to various areas of the brain; this is where real acupuncture was used on the same students after total sleep deprivation for one night. The third row shows sham or fake treatment, where they used exactly the same needle, but on an area away from an acupoint.

The researchers concluded that this difference in brain activation suggests the importance of this specific acupuncture point (known as SP6) in treating sleep deprivation. Thanks to the wonders of FMRI technology, we’re getting closer to unlocking the mysteries of how acupuncture can help us get a better night’s sleep.

Having difficulty sleeping? Give acupuncture for insomnia a try.

Reference: Differential activation patterns of fMRI in sleep-deprived brain: restoring effects of acupuncture

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