Good article about depression from a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) perspective:
“”Depression” in Chinese medicine is defined as a disorder caused by emotional constraint with stagnation of Qi (energy), with typical symptoms such as: lowering of the spirits, irritability, inclination to cry, distention and pain in hypochondria area, insomnia and sometimes a feeling of a foreign body in the throat (A plumb stone throat). It is not the exact equivalent of depression in Western medicine, but they share common features. The first medical book, ”the yellow emperor’s classic of internal Medicine” (I’ve referred to many times in previous articles) already contained theories on the origin of depression. In TCM, mental and/or emotional problems such as depression are attributed to an imbalance or blockage in one or more of the internal organs (Zang-Fu) Some of the more common patterns of disharmony that can manifest as depression are:
· Stagnation of Liver Qi with such symptoms as uneasiness, hypochondriac distention, belching, anorexia etc.
· Accumulation of phlegm with symptoms such as distention and pain in the flanks, depressed mood,
· Heart yin deficiency with symptoms such as Palpitations, forgetfulness, insomnia etc..
Usually people begin to experience some signs and symptoms such as the ones mentioned above. left untreated, the disorder will spread and involve other organs. That is why in TCM we recommend early diagnosis and treatment. The longer a person waits to be treated, the more treatments he or she will need. Acupuncture is used as the main modality, but is often supplemented with Chinese herbal formulas. A new pilot study in the university of Arizona confirmed that TCM is a promising treatment for mild to major depression. 70% of participants experienced at least 50% reduction of symptoms, comparable to the success rates of psychotherapy and medication. This was the first (to my knowledge) randomized, controlled double blinded study of Acupuncture’s effectiveness for depression reported in Western scientific literature. ”
Related posts:
