A 2021 study concluded that acupuncture boosts antidepressant effectiveness. Researchers at Guangzhou First People’s Hospital compared SSRI (serotonin reuptake inhibitor) therapy with SSRI plus acupuncture therapy. The results demonstrated that combined treatment increased positive patient outcomes.
Study Details
The integrated therapy group received the SSRI medication Lexapro (escitalopram), as did the drugs-only group. The data clearly showed that adding acupuncture significantly improved outcomes for patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). The integrated approach was more effective at restoring cognitive functions and normal interleukin serum levels. The investigators concluded that acupuncture boosts antidepressant effectiveness.
Measuring Results
The Loewenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment (LOTCA) scores were significantly better in the acupuncture group. LOTCA is a cognitive test that measures basic skills for daily function, including orientation, visual perception, psychomotor abilities, problem-solving skills, and thinking operations.
Acupuncture group scores improved to 15.71, 15.21, 11.68, 11.53, and 23.32, respectively, higher than those in the drug control group at 15.52, 15.06, 11.52, 11.41, and 23.00.
Acupuncture Reduces Inflammation
Serum pro-inflammatory factors are typically higher in patients with MDD, reflecting the condition’s severity and impact on physical well-being. The results showed that serum pro-inflammatory factors, including IL-2, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in both groups decreased. However, the figures in the acupuncture group were significantly lower than in the drug control group. These results demonstrate that adding acupuncture to SSRI therapy significantly decreases pro-inflammatory factors.
Study Participants
Investigators enrolled 100 patients with major depressive disorder into the study, randomizing them into two groups of 50. The drug control group included 23 males and 27 females, with a mean age of 43 and an average disease duration of 25 months.
The integrated therapy group included 22 male and 28 female participants, with an average age of 44 years and a disease duration of 26 months. The two groups presented no significant statistical distinctions in terms of the course of the disease, age, and years of formal education.
Acupuncture Treatment Eases Depression
The study lasted six weeks for both groups. Participants in the drug control group received 10 mg escitalopram once or twice daily, depending on their condition. The integrated group had acupuncture administered in addition to escitalopram.
The primary acupoints included:
GV20 (Baihui)
ST36 (Zusanli)
Practitioners used sterile, stainless steel, single-use filiform needles for the two points, eliciting a deqi sensation (achy feeling at the site of the needle). They then applied gentle electric current to both points using electroacupuncture devices set to 80 and 120 Hz. Participants received 45-minute treatments twice a week for six weeks.
The acupuncturists selected additional points based on each patient’s symptoms and differential diagnosis. For example, patients with liver qi stagnation and spleen deficiency received GB34 (Yanglingquan) and SP6 (Sanyinjiao). Liver and kidney yin deficiency patients received SP6 (Sanyinjiao) and KD3 (Taixi). Practitioners did not apply electroacupuncture to supplemental points.
Acupuncture Boosts Antidepressant Effectiveness
The results indicated that antidepressant medication is more effective when combined with acupuncture. Both subjective and objective measures showed better patient outcomes when drug therapy combined with acupuncture for patients with depression.
Next Steps
If you, or someone you love, suffer from depression, try acupuncture. Many people have a difficult time finding medication to ease their depression. Adding acupuncture to their treatment plan may enhance the benefits of the drug. You may also find that acupuncture alone works to improve your mood.
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Acupuncture Enhances Benefits of Medications
This research study demonstrated that acupuncture boosts antidepressant effectiveness. Acupuncture improves the benefits of other medications, including pain medications, by decreasing inflammation and improving qi and blood circulation.
Reference
Gu Zhiwen, Huang Xiong, Chenliping, Xue Dan. Effect of Electroacupuncture Combined with escitalopram on Cognitive Function and Serum Inflammatory Factor in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder, Shandong Journal of Traditional Medicine, Vol. 40, No. 9, 2021.
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I was feeling depressed and stressed because I didn’t like my job and didn’t know what to do with my life. I started taking Lexipro but it really affected my libido so I stopped taking it. I tried acupuncture because my husband said it helped him when he was depressed years earlier (before he met me!) I went to Raleigh Acupuncture and started treatments. They were really knowledgeable about Chinese medicine and explained how the body gets stuck in depression, and how the acupuncture gets the body unstuck. They really listened to me and helped me figure stuff out. I started feeling less depressed. Then I actually started getting more clear about what I wanted to do with my life career-wise. I decided to go back to school and now I’m almost done with my degree. I haven’t felt depressed at all since I was treated and I’m really excited about my life. I’m very grateful to them for being such great healers and such a great support to me when I really needed it.
I had very severe depression after my son was born. The doctors put me on medication, which helped, but I still had no motivation and felt very sad. I tried acupuncture and it really improved my mood. I would say that within four weeks of starting treatment I was no longer depressed. My motivation returned, I was able to get out of bed in the morning ready to go, and I started enjoying my son for the first time. I think the combination of medications and acupuncture worked great for me. I appreciate the caring and skill at Raleigh Acupuncture and recommend them highly for treating depression.
