Depression and anxiety are common conditions with seemingly more and more people suffering from it every day, affecting all aspects of life. Because depression can affect a person’s personal life and professional life, it is important to seek treatment as soon as possible. Sometimes a few sessions with a counselor can work, but other times a psychiatrist is necessary. If medical interventions such as prescription drugs are taken, they can cause side effects. People who have been taking antidepressants for more than five years tend to gain weight because the drugs profoundly change metabolism. They feel relaxed but tend to crave sweets with their blood sugar levels on a roller coaster. Over the past 20 years, acupuncture and acupressure have become more popular because they can help people’s mental health and waistline at the same time.

Acupressure and acupuncture can do the job of antidepressants without side effects

Studies have revealed that acupressure and acupuncture are highly effective ways to help people combat depression and treat medication side effects such as indigestion, weight gain, and insomnia. Acupuncturists give lectures to teach people how to apply pressure to certain acupuncture points and unlock energy, or “Qi.” It is important to remember that the combination of acupuncture and acupressure can help the body produce “feel good” hormones such as dopamine, serotonin and endorphins much more efficiently than simply going to the Acupuncture Clinic once or twice. per week. Taking a deep breath in and out can calm the body and mind, making the session more effective.

Alternative medicine has many followers

It is now seen that people of all ages and with all kinds of ailments seek the help of practitioners of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. A point called “grandfather-grandson” is found when the thumb slides up the bone from the inner edge of the ball of the foot toward the top of the arch. This point relieves anxiety and depression because this area activates and relaxes the part of the brain that releases those “feel good” hormones. To balance the emotions, apply pressure where the arm meets the chest, called the “core treasure.” An acupuncturist can teach the correct acupressure points during an acupuncture session once or twice a week. After the initial 12 acupuncture sessions, the patient can switch to a biweekly or monthly maintenance schedule, but home acupressure techniques may enhance the beneficial effects.

Why electrical acupuncture can help people fight anxiety and depression?

Electrical acupuncture has been used to help people with depression for 20 years. In 2017, a new study published in the Medical Science Monitor by Ding Luo et. al indicates that electroacupuncture can modify the glutamatergic neurotransmission system to reduce the symptoms of major depressive disorders. According to this study, electroacupuncture can be used to achieve an antidepressant effect by enhancing the function of the glial glutamate transporter EAAT2 in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. Acupuncture takes a little longer to change the gene expression of the glutamate transporter EAAT2, which performs 90% of glutamate neurotransmission. When acupuncture is used to treat depression, it is best to start two to three times a week to build up the antidepressant effect, with more sessions required to modify gene expression.