How does acupuncture treat depression? What are its characteristics?

Acupuncture has the characteristics of wide application and definite curative effect, so depression and its accompanying or secondary physical diseases can also be treated by acupuncture. However, acupuncture should also be combined with the patient's symptoms and tongue pulse, and the treatment method can only be decided after syndrome differentiation. Generally speaking, Chinese medicine believes that depression is closely related to the dysfunction of heart, liver, spleen and kidney. Therefore, in the treatment, it is necessary to differentiate the conditions of these organs of patients first, and then make further treatment plans. According to the treatment and curative effect analysis of depression, two groups of acupoints for treating depression were summarized and analyzed. Acupoints: the five internal organs plus Shu Ge, namely Shuxin, Shu Fei, Pishu, Ganshu, Shenshu and Shu Ge. The reason why this group of acupoints is used is because the viscera of depression are heart, liver, spleen, lung and kidney, and because depression is mostly due to qi and blood stasis caused by emotional disorder, accompanied by blood stasis syndrome. Shu Ge is the intersection of blood, which can promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis. Therefore, the selection of five zang-organs Shu can achieve the functions of calming the heart and calming the nerves, tonifying the kidney and strengthening the spleen, calming the liver and dispersing qi, harmonizing the qi of the five zang-organs and gradually normalizing the functions of the viscera. Acupoints: Shenting, Baihui, Sleeping, Shenmen and Sanyinjiao. If the patient is emotionally unstable or depressed, Hegu and Taichong can be added; If the patient feels abdominal qi moving up and down or abdominal distension, he should add Qi Hai, Zhong Wan, Neiguan and Xuan Ji to facilitate the circulation of qi, widen the chest and stop bloating. In the treatment, these two groups of acupoints can be used alternately, and patients can get the effect of calming their minds and refreshing their minds and calming their nerves. If the patient is accompanied by other symptoms at the same time, you can also choose other corresponding acupoint treatment. Although antidepressant treatment has a good effect, there are still different degrees of side effects, which are too dangerous and have certain contraindications. Acupuncture treatment is gradually accepted by patients because of its unique advantages such as rapid improvement of symptoms and no side effects.