Stress & sleep
Acupuncture for Low Mood
Everyone feels down from time to time. Usually it passes by itself, but sometimes it lingers and it feels as if the light has been dimmed. Acupuncture and laser acupuncture can be used to support the body in regaining energy, calm and balance, as a complement to conventional care.
How does low mood show up?
With low mood, everything takes more effort. The desire to do things fades, things you used to enjoy touch you less and it can feel as if a grey layer covers the day. Some people mainly feel emptiness or flatness, others sadness or irritability.
Low mood is not only felt in your mood, but also in your body. Many people sleep restlessly or a great deal, experience fatigue that does not go away, a heavy feeling in the chest, tension in the neck and shoulders or headaches. Difficulty concentrating, worrying and a change in appetite are also common.
Low mood often develops after a period of stress, loss or prolonged overload. Chronic pain or a long period of illness can also contribute. For women, it also regularly plays a role around hormonal changes, such as around menstruation, after giving birth or during menopause.
Traditional Chinese Medicine
Low mood from a TCM perspective
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, body and mind are seen as one whole. Low mood is broadly understood in two ways: energy that is stuck and can no longer flow freely, or a body that is simply depleted after a long period of giving. Often it is a combination. Which pattern is most prominent helps determine the choice of treatment.
Liver Qi stagnation
Gan Qi Yu JieWithin TCM, this pattern is associated with pent-up feelings, a tight or "shut down" feeling, sighing, irritability and mood swings. Tension builds up and finds no outlet.
Heart and Spleen deficiency
Xin Pi Liang XuWithin TCM, this pattern is connected with worrying, fatigue, poor appetite, light or restless sleep and a feeling of emptiness. It often develops after a long period of worry, overload or too little recovery.
Kidney Yang deficiency
Shen Yang XuWithin TCM, the Kidneys are seen as the body’s deeper reserve. When this reserve is depleted, low mood may come with listlessness, little drive, feeling cold and the sense that everything is heavy and slow.
How can acupuncture and laser acupuncture help with low mood?
Treatment starts with a conversation. We look not only at how you feel, but also at your sleep, energy, digestion and the circumstances in which the low mood developed. Pulse and tongue are examined as well. Based on this, a personalised treatment plan is made.
- 01Targeted acupuncture: very fine needles are used on carefully selected acupuncture points that are applied within TCM to get stuck energy moving again and to help the body recharge.
- 02Laser ear acupuncture: points on the ear are always treated with the laser, without needles. These points are often used for tension, restlessness and sleep problems and can be combined with the rest of the treatment.
- 03A moment of calm: during the treatment you don’t have to do or achieve anything. Many people experience the session as a moment of stillness in which the mind quietens and the body can relax.
- 04Lifestyle and recovery: attention is also given to factors that can influence your mood and energy, such as sleep, nutrition, movement, daylight and a regular rhythm.
Prefer no needles?
Every treatment can also be carried out completely needle-free with laser acupuncture, in which the same points are treated with therapeutic laser light. Ear acupuncture is always carried out with the laser. Acupressure, which also uses no needles, can be used as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can acupuncture help with low mood?
Acupuncture can be used to support the body in regaining energy, calm and balance. Treatment is tailored to how low mood shows up for you, both physically and emotionally. The degree of change people experience varies per person.
Has acupuncture for depressive symptoms been researched?
Yes. A Cochrane review from 2018 combined 64 studies with over 7,000 participants. It found that acupuncture may reduce the severity of depressive symptoms compared with no treatment or conventional care alone. The researchers did rate the quality of the evidence as low, and not everyone responds in the same way.
Can I combine acupuncture with medication or therapy?
Yes. Acupuncture combines well with conventional treatment, such as talking therapy or antidepressants. If you want to change anything about your medication, always discuss this with your doctor first.
What is the difference between low mood and depression?
Low mood is part of life and usually passes by itself. With depression, symptoms last longer, usually at least two weeks, and interfere with daily functioning. Whether depression is present is determined by your GP or a psychologist. Acupuncture can be used as a complement in both situations.
I have very little energy. Won’t a treatment be too much?
No. You lie down calmly during the treatment and don’t have to do anything yourself. Treatment is adapted to how much energy you have. If you feel nervous about needles, laser acupuncture is a completely needle-free alternative.
How many treatments are needed?
This varies per person and depends on how long the complaints have existed and what else is going on. After the first treatments, we review together how you respond and what a suitable follow-up would be.
Related
Related complaints & patterns
Burnout & exhaustion
Prolonged exhaustion, low energy, and the feeling your reserves are empty, even after rest.
Sleep problems
Trouble falling asleep, restless sleep, waking frequently, or waking up unrefreshed.
Anxiety & panic
Persistent worry, feelings of panic, palpitations, or a tight feeling in the chest.
Personal Treatment Plan
Does it feel as if the light has been dimmed?
During a first appointment, we take the time to look at how low mood shows up for you and which form of acupuncture suits you best.