Depression is a serious medical illness that involves the brain for at least a two-week period. Symptoms can include sadness, loss of interest or pleasure in activities you used to enjoy, change in weight, difficulty sleeping or oversleeping, energy loss, fellings of worthlessness, thoughts of death or suicide.
Depression is usually treated with psychotherapy and/or anti-depressant drugs. Patients who are too depressed to talk can't get much benefit from psychotherapy or counseling. Prolonged use of anti-depressant drugs can produce several side effects, such as dry mouth, constipation, weight gain, dizziness, headaches, nausea, vomiting, possible confusion, seizures, stroke, and coma, which make patients not want to take medicines.
From a holistic viewpoint, Chinese medicine believes that the mental activities are attributable to the physiological function of the internal organs, Heart, Lung, Spleen, Liver, and Kidney respectively. There is a close relationship between mental activities and physiological function of the internal organs. For example, the Heart dominates the blood and blood vessels, and the Heart dominates mind. Only when Qi and the blood of the Heart are abundant and nourish the mind, can mental activities be normal, making individual alert, healthy consciousness, quick in thinking and responsive to the environment, and keeping a healthy balance in the external world. If the Heart is diseased, the function of dominating the mind may be abnormal.
Depression, the abnormal emotional activities, is more related to the functional activities of Heart, Spleen, Liver and Kidney according to Chinese medicine. Some symptoms, such as fullness in chest, irritability, feverish sensation over the palms and soles, palpitation, poor memory, tongue and pulse, will be used to differentiate the types of depression. Each patient will receive specific treatment depending on the differentiation in Chinese medicine.
Chinese acupuncture began over 2,000 years ago and is an important part of traditional Chinese medicine. It is a side-effect free, non-dependent, natural, and effective treatment for depression. With acupuncture the "whole" person is treated, both mind and body, not just isolated systems or parts of the body. A new pilot study by researchers at the University of Arizona confirmed that acupuncture is a promising treatment for major depression in women.
Patients with depression will get traditional Chinese acupuncture treatment at Green Point Acupuncture L.L.C.. The acupuncture treatment will be once or twice a week at the beginning. Acupuncture, acupressure, moxabustion, cupping, or auricular therapy (ear acupuncture) will be used during the treatment. The patients will get healing benefits of acupuncture treatment from experienced Chinese acupuncturists at Green Point Acupuncture L.L.C..
Green Point Acupuncture L.L.C.