“How many acupuncture treatments are needed for depression?”
I want to get an acupuncture treatment for depression. How many acupuncture treatments are needed for depression?
9 Answers
The answer really depends: what trauma has the patient experienced? Is it postpartum depression? Is the depression coming from career changes or other life changes?
Medical research states, "Acupuncture showed clinically significant reductions in the severity of depression compared to usual care (Hedges (g) = 0.41, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.18 to 0.63), sham acupuncture (g = 0.55, 95% CI 0.31 to 0.79), and as an adjunct to anti-depressant medication (g = 0.84, 95% CI 0.61 to 1.07). A significant correlation between an increase in the number of acupuncture treatments delivered and reduction in the severity of depression (p = 0.015) was found." From: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6722678/
Medical research states, "Acupuncture showed clinically significant reductions in the severity of depression compared to usual care (Hedges (g) = 0.41, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.18 to 0.63), sham acupuncture (g = 0.55, 95% CI 0.31 to 0.79), and as an adjunct to anti-depressant medication (g = 0.84, 95% CI 0.61 to 1.07). A significant correlation between an increase in the number of acupuncture treatments delivered and reduction in the severity of depression (p = 0.015) was found." From: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6722678/
For my patients with depression and/or anxiety I hope they feel better during the first treatment and are able to sleep better that night. The effect usually fades quickly after that. Effects tend to be cumulative, but I have never seen a case where it is purely linear either. Life happens. Recently many of my patients had exacerbations from the holidays (mostly around dealing with family). Laying out an exact number of treatments is impossible, but if you are seeing no changes after 2-3 treatments, find someone else.
The frequency of acupuncture treatments will be dependent but not necessarily limited to the chronicity of the condition and the personal response to the acupuncture treatments. Please check with your primary to see if alternative medicine would be a viable option. Live Happy, - Happy Cloud Acupuncture Michael A. Chow, M.A.O.M., L.Ac. (951) 317 - 1350 HappyCloudAcu@gmail.com
Regular weekly sessions can help with depression. It really depends how you respond, I would recommend 1-2 visits per week for about 8-12 weeks. If you are taking medication for depression, it is important to keep taking your meds. Diet is also important. Try to follow paleo or whole30 diet. Try to avoid processed foods. Get a good multivitamin supplement & probiotics with prebiotics. Limit consumption of alcohol & caffeine. Hope this helps you. Definitely give it a try.
Acupuncture with herbs, and sometimes massage, can treat and help you with depression. The number of sessions varies depending upon the severity. I suggest you try it.
Five-six acupuncture treatments are needed for depression.
4 treatments per year of problem so I’ll for one year 4 treatments
There is no set number of treatments for any condition. You'll need to speak with your practitioner and set up a treatment plan.
The answer to your question is: it depends. There are too many variables here to give you anything more accurate than a statistical average.
Assuming your depression is on the mild to moderate end of the spectrum, then, on average, I'd expect something like 8-10 treatments. I've had patients take more and I've had patients take fewer.
Assuming your depression is on the mild to moderate end of the spectrum, then, on average, I'd expect something like 8-10 treatments. I've had patients take more and I've had patients take fewer.
