Ear acupuncture is a natural, safe and highly effective method for relieving depression. Such acupuncture treatment is not only as effective as medications commonly used for treatment, it also does not lead to any side effects such as stomach problems or reduced libido.
A new study involving experts from the Universidade Federal de São Paulo in Brazil examined the effectiveness and safety of auricular acupuncture in the treatment of depression. The results are published in the English-language journal “JAMA Network Open”.
Depression is often inadequately treated
Depression is on the rise worldwide, but fewer than half of those affected receive what is considered appropriate treatment such as psychotherapy and medication, the researchers report. There are even countries in which only around ten percent of those affected receive appropriate treatment.
The team cites the high cost of antidepressants and the associated side effects such as stomach problems and reduced libido as reasons. Therefore, there is growing interest in non-pharmacological and cheaper options for treating depression. Ear acupuncture is one such alternative.
Auricular acupuncture is a procedure used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in which thin needles are inserted into points in the auricle to stimulate various organs, including the brain and vagus nerve, the experts explain.
Ear acupuncture is not only inexpensive, but also quick and easy to perform, with a session only lasting five to 15 minutes.
Effect examined on 74 people
To prove the effectiveness of such a treatment, the new study examined 74 participants with an average age of 29 years who had evidence of depression. People who had already undergone ear acupuncture or were severely depressed and at risk of suicide were excluded.
The participants were initially divided into two groups of 37 people each. One group received special ear acupuncture to treat depression, as is also used in traditional Chinese medicine, the team reports.
According to the researchers, the other participants received non-specific treatment in which points on the ear that were not associated with symptoms of mental illness were treated.
In total, participants in the treatment group took part in twelve acupuncture sessions, each lasting 15 minutes. Six points on the outer ear were stimulated, which are said to correspond to the Shenmen (spirit), the subcortex, the heart, the lungs, the liver and the kidneys, the experts explain.
The researchers then assessed the effectiveness and safety of the acupuncture treatment after four weeks, six weeks and three months.
At the end of the follow-up period, a total of 58 percent of the participants treated with ear acupuncture had improved their scores on a scale for assessing depression (Patient Health Questionnaire 9) by at least 50 percent. In contrast, the proportion of participants with such an improvement in the group with non-specific treatment was only 43 percent, the team adds.
According to the researchers, these results are quite promising. The proportion of participants who achieved recovery and remission of depression was significantly higher in the group with ear acupuncture than in the group with non-specific treatment.
After a period of three months, according to the experts, a statistically significant difference was finally found in favor of treatment with ear acupuncture.
Complete recovery thanks to ear acupuncture
“Our results show that almost 60 percent of patients recovered from their depression thanks to specific ear acupuncture. This roughly corresponds to the healing rate with drug treatment, as found in other published studies on this topic,” emphasizes study author Daniel Maurício de Oliveira Rodrigues in a current press release.
In addition, 46 percent of the participants treated with ear acupuncture reported that their normal depressive symptoms completely disappeared, whereas, according to the researchers, this figure was only around 35 percent for drug treatment.
Overall, no serious side effects occurred with both acupuncture treatments examined, which also speaks for the safety of the treatment. (as)
