At Haynes Acupuncture on the Gold Coast, we strive to provide quality treatments using the fundamentals of Chinese Medicine, with a Japanese needling technique in support of all areas of health.
Becoming a parent brings a wide range of emotions, ranging from joy and excitement, to stress and apprehension. The physical changes you go through can also affect your mood and feelings and it’s common to experience more ups and downs than usual. But depression is more than just a low mood, it’s a serious condition that affects your physical and mental health. Maternal depression is an all-encompassing term for a spectrum of depressive conditions that can affect mothers (up to 12 months postpartum) and mothers-to-be. These depressive conditions include prenatal depression, postpartum depression, and postpartum psychosis.
According to the World Health Organization about 10% of pregnant women and 13% of women who have just given birth experience a mental disorder, primarily depression and in developing countries this is even higher. In severe cases, suicide is even reported (1).
In a recent meta-analysis, researchers screened electronic databases and analysed data from randomised controlled trials of acupuncture for the treatment of postpartum depression. Primary outcomes included improvement in depressive symptoms, (as by scores on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, or the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale). 
This meta-analysis indicates that acupuncture appears to be effective for the treatment of postpartum depression with respect to certain outcomes (2).
According to Chinese medicine, depression is twice as common in women, in part due to the relationship between Liver depression and the menstrual cycle. Qi Deficiency (Lung and/or Kidney), Blood Deficiency (usually Liver and Spleen), Blood Stagnation (Liver), Cold Invasion causing Qi and Blood Stagnation, as well as Jing and Yuan Qi Deficiency are all part of the constellation of findings associated with depression, and all affect the Shen or Mind. Chinese medicine treatment of depression relies upon the diagnosis of each individual patient and on formulating use of a distinct group of acupuncture points unique to each individual, along with a strategy that may also include other recommendations, including, but not limited to, exercise, herbal therapy and lifestyle modifications.
At Haynes Acupuncture we will tailor a specific program to get you back on the road to wellness. If you are wanting to find out how we can help you, an initial consultation will determine your own personal treatment plan and set you on a path back to health, please give us a call on 5531 6461, or email us on info@haynesacupuncture.com.au
References:
- Who.int. (2019). WHO | Maternal mental health. [online] Available at: https://www.who.int/mental_health/maternal-child/maternal_mental_health/en/ [Accessed 20 Feb. 2019].
- Li S, Zhong W, Peng W, Jiang G,. (2018). Effectiveness of acupuncture in postpartum depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Acupunct Med.
