Patty Johnson's Acupuncture - Holistic & Herbal Medicine. Rancho Cucamonga, CA

When I read a recent study about research reported in the August 26 issue of NeuroReport about depression by Marc Onigman, I was inspired to write about some of the research reports utilizing acupuncture and herbs for depression; such as: All subjects receiving acupuncture for major depression significantly improved to a greater extent than those not receiving treatment. Another study suggests that electro-acupuncture can produce the same therapeutic results as tetracyclic drugs, but with less side effects and better symptomatic improvement. Acupuncture treatment for Major Depression, The Symposium of the Soc. for Acupuncture Research, 2003. J Traditional Chinese Medicine: 2004 Sept. 24(3), 172-6.

The clinical applications of herbs are used to address depression, low energy, prolonged sadness or irritability, and lack of interest in daily activities. According to the Clinical Manual of Oriental Medicine produced by Lotus Institute of Integrated Medicine, depression is a disease caused by prolonged stagnation (non-movement) of qi, blood, dampness or food. the treatment protocol is to break up all stagnation and moisten the internal organs.

Over the past few decades research has been carried out seeking to explain how acupuncture works, and what it can and cannot treat.

The 1997 National Institute of Health (NIH) Consensus of Acupuncture reports that "studies have demonstrated that acupuncture can cause multiple biological responses, mediated mainly by sensory neurons to many structures within the central nervous system. This can lead to activation of pathways affecting various physiological systems in the brain as well as the periphery."

The NIH Consensus also suggests that acupuncture "may activate the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland, resulting in a broad spectrum of systemic effects. Alteration in the secretion of neurotransmitters and neurohormones and change in the regulation of blood flow, both centrally and peripherally have been documented. There is also evidence of alterations in immune functions produced by acupuncture."

Acupuncture works as an effective alternative and adjunct treatment modality. It is a safe, effective, and natural approach to help regain and maintain health and well being, according to Acupuncture Media Works literature.

Newswise — Clinically depressed individuals are less capable of finding pleasure in activities they previously enjoyed, a recent study has proven. Research featured in the August 26 issue of the NeuroReport shows reduced brain function in the reward center of the brain in depressed individuals, when compared to healthy subjects. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals, and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, and pharmacy.

The study was conducted by Dr. Elizabeth Osuch, a researcher at the Lawson Health Research Institute, and is the first scientific publication of data obtained by the newly developed First Episode Mood & Anxiety Program (FEMAP) research arm at the London Health Sciences Centre in Ontario, Canada.

To investigate the effects of depression on brain activity, Dr. Osuch and her team asked 15 healthy subjects and 16 recently depressed subjects to provide a list of their favourite music as well as identify music that they neither liked nor disliked (neutral music). The subjects then listened to their musical selections for three minutes while a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanner measured the neural activity in their brain.

The researchers found that the healthy subjects showed more brain activity in specific regions when they listed to their favourite music compared to the depressed subjects. More specifically, several regions of the brain that are associated with reward processing were shown to be less activated in the depressed individuals, suggesting that even the most basic capacity of enjoyment seems to be malfunctioning in this area of the brain in those who have depression. This was true in spite of no difference in how enjoyable the two groups rated listening to the music in the scanner.

"Our results revealed significant responses within the areas of the brain that are associated with reward processing in healthy individuals. They also showed significant deficits in these neurophysiological responses in recently depressed subjects compared to the healthy subjects," explains Dr. Osuch. "It is known that depressed individuals experience anhedonia"”a loss of enjoyment in previously pleasurable activities. The study results show that for recently depressed individuals this loss of enjoyment is linked to very specific parts of the brain which are involved with experiencing pleasure. If we can target these areas of the brain through treatment, we have the potential to treat depression earlier, right at the source."

Acupuncture and herbs can target the pleasure centers of the brain, and both acupuncture and herbs have the potential to treat depression earlier, right at the source, as the studies have shown.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me for more detailed information.

Thursday, August 20, 2009