In 2018, a team of Portuguese researchers reviewed thirteen western based scientific studies on acupuncture.
This review was published in the journal Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice and concluded that
“Overall, there is good scientific evidence encouraging acupuncture therapy to treat anxiety disorders as it yields effective outcomes, with fewer side effects than conventional treatment".
And also that “Pharmacology and psychotherapy stand for the conventional treatment for anxiety disorders but these present limited efficacy, especially in the case of chronic anxiety, with high relapse rates and often causing adverse side effects. Clinical research studies render acupuncture as a valid treatment therapy for anxiety disorders without significant adverse effects”.
In the East, Chinese Medicine – herbs, acupuncture and QiGong have all been successfully used for thousands of years to combat anxiety, depression, mood swings, stress, irritability and psychological disorders. They have been widely used for these issues of the mind and emotions on hundreds of millions of people ...
This review was published in the journal Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice and concluded that
“Overall, there is good scientific evidence encouraging acupuncture therapy to treat anxiety disorders as it yields effective outcomes, with fewer side effects than conventional treatment".
And also that “Pharmacology and psychotherapy stand for the conventional treatment for anxiety disorders but these present limited efficacy, especially in the case of chronic anxiety, with high relapse rates and often causing adverse side effects. Clinical research studies render acupuncture as a valid treatment therapy for anxiety disorders without significant adverse effects”.
In the East, Chinese Medicine – herbs, acupuncture and QiGong have all been successfully used for thousands of years to combat anxiety, depression, mood swings, stress, irritability and psychological disorders. They have been widely used for these issues of the mind and emotions on hundreds of millions of people ...
It is very common for Chinese people to take Chinese Herbal formulas to boost their moods.
There are some very famous and very safe herbal formulas such as Xiao Yao San (in use since 992 AD), which is used to both relax the mind and the body, and also to help encourage a feel good mood.
Chinese Medicine treats the mind and mood very differently than in the west.
It realises that the mood is not just caused by external negative issues in a person’s life, but it can also come from the under-performing of organs in the body.
For example, if the digestive system is weak it may fail to properly digest food and leave the body deficient in essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients which would be used to boost the mood. Or the heart can be weak and fail to sufficiently pump the right levels of blood and oxygen into the brain which leads to the mind running on empty and with that the mood falling lower. If you would like to understand how the organs affect the brain then please read this article - "How our physical body can affect our mind, mood and emotions".
Chinese Medicine offers many ways to help clients cope with anxiety, stress and other mood issues; such as acupuncture, Chinese Herbs, Chinese Dietary Therapy, QiGong, cupping therapy, meditation tuition, Chinese psychology and positive lifestyle advice. All treatments are very safe when provided by a properly trained, qualified and experienced practitioner. (If you want to take herbs then be sure to find a fully qualified Chinese Medical Herbalist.)
There are some very famous and very safe herbal formulas such as Xiao Yao San (in use since 992 AD), which is used to both relax the mind and the body, and also to help encourage a feel good mood.
Chinese Medicine treats the mind and mood very differently than in the west.
It realises that the mood is not just caused by external negative issues in a person’s life, but it can also come from the under-performing of organs in the body.
For example, if the digestive system is weak it may fail to properly digest food and leave the body deficient in essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients which would be used to boost the mood. Or the heart can be weak and fail to sufficiently pump the right levels of blood and oxygen into the brain which leads to the mind running on empty and with that the mood falling lower. If you would like to understand how the organs affect the brain then please read this article - "How our physical body can affect our mind, mood and emotions".
Chinese Medicine offers many ways to help clients cope with anxiety, stress and other mood issues; such as acupuncture, Chinese Herbs, Chinese Dietary Therapy, QiGong, cupping therapy, meditation tuition, Chinese psychology and positive lifestyle advice. All treatments are very safe when provided by a properly trained, qualified and experienced practitioner. (If you want to take herbs then be sure to find a fully qualified Chinese Medical Herbalist.)
A study published in the western scientific journal PLOS ONE found that acupuncture over a three month period is more effective than conventional drugs and slightly more effective than counselling at treating depression.
It was found that acupuncture can lead to just under a reduction of 50 per cent on the depression scale in only three months.
A team of researchers in England, from the University of York, separated 755 patients with moderate to severe depression into three groups. The first 302 of them received acupuncture over 12 weekly sessions. The second group of 302 received counselling over 12 weekly sessions. The remaining 151 patients received conventional drug treatments such as antidepressants.
At the start of the research, the average score amongst the patients was 16 on a scale of 0 to 27; where 27 represented extreme depression and 16 represented moderately severe depression. The results at the end of the 12 weekly sessions showed …
Patients in the conventional drug treatment group dropped from 16 on the depression scale to 13 on average. Patients in the counselling group dropped from 16 to 11 on average. And patients in the acupuncture group dropped from 16 to 9 on average. The acupuncture group experienced the largest drop over the 12 week period.
It was found that acupuncture can lead to just under a reduction of 50 per cent on the depression scale in only three months.
A team of researchers in England, from the University of York, separated 755 patients with moderate to severe depression into three groups. The first 302 of them received acupuncture over 12 weekly sessions. The second group of 302 received counselling over 12 weekly sessions. The remaining 151 patients received conventional drug treatments such as antidepressants.
At the start of the research, the average score amongst the patients was 16 on a scale of 0 to 27; where 27 represented extreme depression and 16 represented moderately severe depression. The results at the end of the 12 weekly sessions showed …
Patients in the conventional drug treatment group dropped from 16 on the depression scale to 13 on average. Patients in the counselling group dropped from 16 to 11 on average. And patients in the acupuncture group dropped from 16 to 9 on average. The acupuncture group experienced the largest drop over the 12 week period.
Another study which was published in the journal BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine looked at the effectiveness of a Chinese Herbal Medicine called Chai Hu Shu Gan San.
This herbal formula has been used since the Ming Dynasty (1368 to 1644) in China and is one of many used for the treatment of depression in Chinese Medicine.
The researchers examined 42 studies, involving 3,234 patients, which they found from PubMed, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Internet Database And Chongqing Vip.
They found that this herbal formula, Chai Hu Shu Gan San, was an effective treatment for pure depression, post-partum depression and post-stroke depression. They also found that the formula was safe and that there were no negative side effects from use of these herbs.
This herbal formula has been used since the Ming Dynasty (1368 to 1644) in China and is one of many used for the treatment of depression in Chinese Medicine.
The researchers examined 42 studies, involving 3,234 patients, which they found from PubMed, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Internet Database And Chongqing Vip.
They found that this herbal formula, Chai Hu Shu Gan San, was an effective treatment for pure depression, post-partum depression and post-stroke depression. They also found that the formula was safe and that there were no negative side effects from use of these herbs.
References …
1) doi.org/10.1016/j.ctcp.2018.01.008
2) PLOS Medicine, online September 24, 2013.
3) TREATMENT OF DEPRESSION WITH CHAI HU SHU GAN SAN: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS OF 42 RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2018; 18:66. DOI: 10.1186/s12906-018-2130-z
1) doi.org/10.1016/j.ctcp.2018.01.008
2) PLOS Medicine, online September 24, 2013.
3) TREATMENT OF DEPRESSION WITH CHAI HU SHU GAN SAN: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS OF 42 RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2018; 18:66. DOI: 10.1186/s12906-018-2130-z
So if you find yourself suffering from low moods or other issues of the mind, emotions or spirit; then consider trying Chinese Medicine, it may be exactly what you need to bring a bit of happiness back into your life.
