A large study conducted in England suggests that acupuncture or counseling, in addition to usual care, could be very beneficial to people with depression. The results were published in PLOS Medicine this September. The study included 755 patients with depression, the patients were divided into three groups; one group received acupuncture plus usual care, another counseling plus usual care and the final group had usual care alone. The groups who received acupuncture or counseling had a significant reduction in their depression after 3 months when compared to the patients who had usual care alone. There was no significant difference in depression scores between the acupuncture and counseling groups. This research provides further evidence that adding acupuncture and/or counseling to usual care can provide significant benefits to patients with recurring depression.

Depression is a widespread problem which affects several million people a year. Even mild depression can affect the body’s immune system, reduce functioning, impair work performance and social relationships. Acupuncture is an excellent, safe addition to almost any treatment plan as it helps restore balance to the mind and body. Check it out!

Source: Acupuncture and Counseling for Depression in Primary Care: A Randomised Controlled Trial. Published: September 24, 2013 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1001518