CAN ACUPUNCTURE HELP PEOPLE WITH SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER?

By Chiropractor Dr. William Madosky 

Is it possible for a season of the year to affect your mood?  Most of us rejoice at the first signs of spring and bask in the warmth and increased sun of the summer.  The winter season however, is another story.  Short days and cloudy skies often lead us inside to seek the warmth of a fire and a cup of tea.  For some the lack of daylight during the winter leads to a more serious depression known as S.A.D. or Seasonal Affective Disorder which requires healthcare intervention.  The most common form of treatment for S.A.D. is the use of bright fluorescent type lights, in more severe cases of depression medications or hospitalization is required.  In an attempt to find other solutions acupuncture is being explored as an alternative treatment for this condition.

According to the National Association for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) seasonal affective disorder is a characterized by “recurrent episodes of depression in certain months of the year alternating with periods of normal moods during the rest of the year.”  The National Organization for Seasonal Affective Disorders (NOSAD) points to a “biochemical imbalance in the hypothalamus due to a shortening of daylight hours and lack of sunlight in the winter.”  S.A.D. usually begins during a person’s twenties or thirties and is characterized by oversleeping, excessive eating, weight gain, fatigue, decreased sexual desire, lethargy, and lack of interest in daily activities and social withdrawal.  Symptoms usually begin in the late fall and continue throughout the winter until early spring.  NOSAD states that S.A.D. is an illness that affects millions of people who live in both the northern and southern hemisphere more than 30 degrees from the equator. 

Acupuncture has been used for centuries for the treatment of depression and anxiety.  The goal of acupuncture is to balance the energy or “chi” of the individual that has been disrupted in the case of S.A.D. by the lack of direct sunlight and biochemical changes.  Treatment is provided by inserting small, flexible, sterile needles in acupuncture points along energy pathways of the body known as meridians.  Stimulating these acupuncture points helps to remove the blocked chi and help to restore overall health.

 In addition to traditional meridian based acupuncture; auricular therapy – or ear acupuncture – is also commonly used.  Auricular therapy uses either acupuncture needles or small electrical impulses to stimulate acupuncture points found in the ear.  Often combining acupuncture with use of fluorescent light therapy provides a synergistic impact for the person with S.A.D. 

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