| Author |
Message |
    
Joel A.
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 31, 2004 - 23:57: | |
My son is 32 and has suffered from depression since 1991 when it came to the surface. The depression probably started when he was entering puberty at around age 8.
Based on his own research on the Internet, our son became aware that his problems may have resulted from a low level of Testosterone in his system. A visit to an Endocrinologist confirmed that his Testosterone level was way below (around 92) below normal. He tried hormone gel treatments for a couple of months and they did raise the level to the normal range but he stopped taking the gel because he didn't notice a significant improvement and because of the side effects.
Looking at the possible effects of low Testosterone it is possible that this is causing his "depression". Can acupuncture treatments bring about a normal level of testosterone in a male's body? The endocrinologist indicated that it was probably the pituitary gland that wasn't functioning properly but an MRI indicated no tumors on the pituitary.
Do you think my son's condition could be helped by acupuncture treatments? Do you know of any qualified acupuncturists in Charleston, SC or surrounding area?
Any input you could provide will be appreciated.
Sincerely,
Joel A. |
Shmuel Halevi
| | Posted on Thursday, April 01, 2004 - 13:48: | |
Hi Joel. Ch.med. is not the same as Western med. We do not have treatments for testosterone nor other hormones, nor do we regard medical disorders by Western med. concepts and diagnoses. Yet, we do treat depression and similar conditions as these disorders are prevalent in the population and can be interpreted and understood by Ch.med. concepts and doctrine. The fact that your son is low in testosterone has nothing to do with his depression. It is probably an outcome of a basic hereditary condition that depression may or may not be one of its symptoms. A Chin. med. practitioner will need to run his own diagnosis procedure in order to determine what is wrong with your son that may give rise to this depression. I can assure you though, that Ch.med. is very efficient in treating this disorder, either by acupuncture or Ch.herbs. If you will perform a search on this forum, you may find some other correspondence on this topic. As for your last question, alas, i can not assist on this. May be some other readers in this forum can assist you on this. Good luck to you and your son. |
Alston Ho
| | Posted on Friday, August 27, 2004 - 19:33: | |
First off, good luck to you and your son.
Most people would reflect upon a lack of tumors in the pituitary gland as a sign of relief. MRIs are wonderful for imaging the physical and structural aspects of the body, but they may not help you in this particular case.
I do not know the units you are using to describe your son's testosterone levels. However, it does seem like a low number with "normal" considered by western doctors anywhere from 500 to 1200. If we are talking about the same units, 92 is an almost dangerously low level. Low testosterone has been linked to issues such as low bone mass density which can be fatal during injuries. There are several books that are written about this condition and it has been called "Andropause" among other things.
I would suggest treating your son's depresion with an integrated aproach identifying aspects of life, diet, and activities that promote or degrade his mental state. Acupuncture sounds wonderful as a way to focus on the individual rather than on hormones that may have no relation to his condition.
With that in mind, I suggest that your son get more exercise. There is a large body of evidence that suggest that exercise can improve mental health. I suggest for your son a program of weight training, walking, and yoga. Weight training using compound movements such as squats are effective in raising growth hormone levels and testosterone in men. Yoga also builds strong leg muscles and has also been studied in relation to depression. Walking outside will help your son get fresh air, improve lymphatic and circulatory mobility, and get exposed to sunlight which (a lack of) is linked to depression. I do suggest that the weight training and yoga be done with supervision such as in a class or under a training session. Tai Chi is also an interesting option.
Please tell me if this helps. Again, I wish you and your son the best. |
Anonymous
Username: Liza
Registered: N/A
| | Posted on Monday, July 09, 2007 - 16:46: | |
I HAD ACUPUNCTURE FOR DEPRESSION. IT WIIL STOP DEPRESSION. I HAD A TERRIBLE, LONG LASTING CASE. |
Jan Jedryka
Username: Jan
Registered: 06-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, July 19, 2007 - 08:59: | |
HI,
are there any treatment protocols suitable for depression? |
Shmuel Halevi
| | Posted on Friday, July 20, 2007 - 09:31: | |
Most of depression syndromes are related to H/ Liv/ PC malfunctioning. There is the blood deficiency type which is very common, or heart anxiety and depression due to stagnation or deficinecy. Some of these syndromes are related to Ki types of deficiency and more. The treatment is based entirely on the differentiation and usually has marvellous results when treated by acupuncture. |
Ricardo Baptista
Username: Rica
Registered: 07-2007
| | Posted on Friday, October 12, 2007 - 02:24: | |
Just to add I have treated a couple of cases of depression in which the main problem was spleen qi deficiency, leading to excessive worry. I have found this typical in young females who consume lots of raw salads, leading to the spleen qi problem. |
Shmuel Halevi
| | Posted on Friday, October 12, 2007 - 09:12: | |
It is true Ricardo, Sp qi deficiency may lead to blood xu type, which can lead to blood stasis deficiency type. The classics say that when the blood is deficient, there may be depression. This type is typical to after giving birth depression. Young females (or males for that matter) who are vegetarian and eat plenty of raw vegetables, as you say, may develop yang deficiency of the spleen and/or kidney. This may lead to blood deficiency as yang qi is predominant in the formation of blood, hence this type of depression. For that matter, also other type of severe hemorrhage, such as heavy menses, bleeding of severe injuries etc., may lead to depression. |
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Acupuncture and depression