Treating Depression with Acupuncture
and Other Holistic Therapies

In most cases of mild to moderate depression, an underlying cause--physical, emotional, or a combination--can usually be detected.

For example, one depressed patient of mine had a systemic Candida problem of which she was unaware. Treatment with acupuncture and an herbal/dietary program helped alleviate both problems.

Another patient was depressed over the loss of a very dear pet she had had for many years. Acupuncture and homeopathy helped relieve the depression, and an herbal/dietary program helped correct an undetected blood-sugar imbalance that had exacerbated her depression.

Another patient who came to me with a chief complaint of depression felt a great brightening of her mood after a combination of acupuncture and homeopathics. She no longer felt so stressed and panicky at work. Her headaches and PMS improved as well.

Each one of these patients came to me with depression as their chief complaint, but, as you can see, each one had very different things going on in their lives, very different contributing factors on physical as well as emotional levels.

In treating a patient holistically, it is important to understand what is going on physically, mentally, and emotionally. Each has a factor in overall health, and each must be considered in determining treatment. In the case of depression, I almost always use acupuncture, sometimes alone, sometimes in conjunction with other therapies, depending, as always, on the individual case. Recent studies have confirmed that acupuncture is particularly helpful in mild to moderate depression. For example, a University of Arizona study of 38 depressed women, published in Psychological Science in September of 1998, found that 64 percent of the subjects who received acupuncture alone experienced a full remission of their symptoms.

If you would like more information on how holistic medicine might be of help with your depression or other health concerns, you are welcome to call me at 858/673-1397 for a free phone consultation.


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Rancho Bernardo Sun/ Diamond Gateway Signature
June 1999