Contact Us

Advertising

Comics

Crossword

The Arizona Daily Wildcat Online

Catcalls

Policebeat

Search

Archives

News Sports Opinions Arts Classifieds

Wednesday June 27, 2001

Dave Matthews Band Photos

 

PoliceBeat
Catcalls
Restaurant and Bar Guide
Daily Wildcat Alumni Site

 

Student KAMP Radio and TV 3

On pins and needles

Headline Photo

ERIC M. JUKELEVICS

Acupuncturist Leslie McGee demonstrates point L.I.4 or "Hegu" in her office Monday evening. L.I. 4 is a commonly used point for headaches, allergies and pain.

By Cyndy Cole

Arizona Summer Wildcat

UA researchers experiment with acupuncture treatment for depression

Treatment for depression may lie beyond a bottle or counseling session in the ancient Chinese practice of acupuncture.

Acupuncture - the insertion of needles into muscles to balance energies within the body - has a healing affect, said Leslie McGee, an acupuncturist at 1643 N. Alvernon Road, who is working with UA researchers in a five-year study to test whether or not acupuncture could be an effective method to treat depression.

"It's a big deal," said McGee. "It's one of the first big funded acupuncture studies in the U.S."

But despite massive research efforts, some still disagree that acupuncture is a suitable treatment for depression.

"I would have to say that I have a healthy skepticism," said Kenneth Marsh, director of counseling and psychological services at Campus Health. Marsh is concerned that without counseling and education about depression, patients may relapse into depression after acupuncture treatment.

However, Marsh welcomes acupuncture experimentation as another way to help patients suffering from depression.

"There's basically therapy or medication (to treat depression), that's about it," said Dr. Sabrina Hitt, a clinical psychologist and post-doctoral fellow working on the research program.

McGee starts her acupuncture sessions by asking her patients what the depression feels like to them.

"Some people say that they feel they have this thick fog in their head," McGee said. "Some people (feel) more restless. Some feel heavy, edgy, or irritable."

The overall goal of acupuncture is to regain balance in chi, or energy within the body. There are two types of energy: yin and yang. Yin is "moisture, coolness, and stillness," McGee said. Yang is "energy, heat, activity and power."

By applying needles to some of the 365 acupuncture points on the body, yin and yang can be altered.

An average acupuncture treatment uses 12 to 14 needles that have the thickness of a strand of hair.

"The (very fine) needles are solid, like a thick hair and there's no bleeding, generally," McGee said.

The needles may be applied to the forehead, abdomen and top of the head, depending on what the patient is being treated for.

"Depression points are on the forehead and the top of the head," McGee said. She applies needles to the head to relieve what she calls a "big cloud" in people who are depressed.

But those methods to treat depression, which affects about 17 percent of the population, do not always work for everyone, Hitt said, and patients often stop the treatment because it isn't working.

So far, UA researchers have treated 134 depression study participants in the program started by psychology professor John Allen and licensed acupuncturist Rosa Schnyer.

Two-thirds of study participants get 24 acupuncture treatments, Hitt said. One third of the participants receive 12 acupuncture treatments after a waiting period.

All participants are physically and psychologically evaluated during the study by interviewers who do not know whether the participants are receiving treatment or not, Hitt said.

Those students who are aware of acupuncture on campus use it for a variety of problems, usually related to the stresses of student life.

"Some of them just use (acupuncture) for stress relief," said Cathy Travis, a consultant for the study, and an acupuncturist at Campus Health. "(Stress relief) is probably the number one use. Depression is one of many things going on when they come."

Other symptoms of major depression include: a lack of enjoyment, sleeping too little or too much, eating too little or too much, weight gain, weight loss, feelings or failure or worthlessness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and thoughts of suicide, Hitt said.

Travis said she sees 40 students per week during the regular school year for sports injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome, painful menstruation, insomnia, asthma, allergies, lower back pain, and those who want to stop smoking.

On campus, students return to Travis again and again.

"I never have problems having people come back. Never," she said.

Travis also said there are still some people who have misconceptions about the possible benefits of acupuncture therapy.

"They just don't know about (acupuncture)," Travis said. "I think in the west we have needle phobia."

But the use of alternative medicine, including acupuncture is "definitely growing" as "the students in Tucson are learning more and more," Travis said.