Acupuncture for Depression: What the Evidence Shows and How It Fits With Treatment

Acupuncture for depression has been studied in well over a hundred trials, and the most cautious summary comes from Cochrane. Its review of 64 studies with 7,104 participants found low-quality evidence that acupuncture may moderately reduce the severity of depression compared with no added treatment, and by less when compared with sham needling. Newer trials, including some that added acupuncture to antidepressants, have been more encouraging. This article explains what that research means for someone in South Plainfield or nearby towns who is living with low mood, how acupuncture can sit alongside medicine and talking therapy, what Ayurveda and herbs offer, and where the risks are.

If you are struggling right now

If you are having thoughts of suicide or of harming yourself, please do not wait for an appointment with us. Call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or chat at 988lifeline.org. Where life is at immediate risk, dial 911. The National Institute of Mental Health gives the same advice, and it applies whether or not you are already in treatment.

The evidence at a glance

• Some benefit is likely, but the certainty is low. Cochrane rated most comparisons as low or very low quality, mainly because of how the trials were run.
• Real needling does better than sham, by a smaller margin. The gap shrinks when acupuncture is compared with a convincing placebo.
• Adding acupuncture to antidepressants looks promising. Several trials found larger improvements when acupuncture was added to medicine than with medicine alone.
• Sleep may be one of its strongest points. A trial in people with depression and insomnia found clear improvements in sleep that lasted months.
• It is not a substitute for treatment of moderate or severe depression. Medicine and psychotherapy have the strongest evidence.

Depression is more than a bad week

Depression is a mood disorder that brings persistent sadness and loss of interest. According to a clinical summary from StatPearls, the depressive disorders share a sad, empty or irritable mood along with physical and thinking changes that make it hard to function. The psychiatric manual, DSM-5, lists several types, including major depressive disorder and persistent depressive disorder (long-running, lower-grade depression). The same summary notes that nearly 60 in every 100 people with depression do not seek medical help, often because of stigma.

NIMH describes depression as one of the most common mental disorders in the US, able to affect anyone, and linked to higher rates of heart disease and diabetes. It is also a risk factor for suicidal thoughts and behavior, which is why it needs proper assessment rather than waiting it out.

Depression can also be a sign of something else. Thyroid problems, some medicines, heavy drinking, hormonal shifts after childbirth or around menopause, and long illnesses can all affect mood. A doctor's assessment and blood tests are the right first step if you have not had them.

What standard treatment offers

NIMH lists three main kinds of treatment: medicines, talk therapy (including telehealth and online options) and, for some people, brain stimulation therapies. StatPearls notes that there is good evidence most antidepressants work, though people respond differently, so finding the right medicine can take time and adjustments.

That variability is part of why people look for something more. Some feel partly better but not fully well. Some have side effects they find hard to live with. Some are waiting weeks for a therapist. Acupuncture may help in each of those situations, as an addition to care rather than a replacement for it.

Acupuncture for depression: what the research shows

The Cochrane review

The 2018 Cochrane review remains the most conservative summary. Against no treatment, a waiting list or usual care, acupuncture may moderately reduce depression severity by the end of treatment (five trials, 488 participants), on low-quality evidence. Against sham acupuncture, the reduction was smaller. Whether acupuncture alone or combined with medicine beats medicine alone was uncertain because the evidence was very low quality, and comparisons with psychological therapy were unclear. Few studies followed people up for long, and many did not report side effects properly.

What a moderate effect means

Cochrane reported the difference against no added treatment as a standardized mean difference of about 0.66. In plain terms, that is a moderate effect: noticeable on depression questionnaires, but not the difference between being unwell and fully recovered. Against sham, the effect was smaller still. These figures describe averages across groups. Some people in the trials improved a great deal and others not at all, and nobody can yet predict who will respond.

Newer reviews grade the evidence differently

Two later analyses show how much judgment goes into rating evidence:

• A 2025 review of 60 trials with 4,675 adults with mild or moderate major depression found low-certainty evidence that acupuncture, or acupuncture added to antidepressants, may reduce depression more than antidepressants alone. Adding antidepressants to acupuncture gave a slightly larger effect than acupuncture alone. Side effects of acupuncture were mild and passing.
• A 2023 analysis of 43 trials compared acupuncture with sham (920 people), with antidepressants (2,169 people) and as an add-on to antidepressants (667 people). It reported benefits in all three comparisons, fewer side effects than antidepressants, and rated its evidence as high quality.

The trials overlap a lot between these reviews, and most were carried out in China. Reasonable experts disagree about how much confidence they deserve. Ratings depend on judgments about blinding, how patients were allocated, how consistent the results were and how many people took part, and two careful teams can weigh those issues differently. That is why we quote the cautious Cochrane view alongside the more positive newer reviews, rather than picking whichever sounds best. Our reading: acupuncture probably helps some people with mild to moderate depression, especially alongside standard treatment, and the size and durability of the effect remain uncertain.

Recent trials

• Mild, subthreshold depression. In a 2025 sham-controlled trial of 64 young adults with depressive symptoms below the threshold for major depression, scores on the Hamilton depression scale fell by about 7.3 points with real acupuncture over eight weeks and by about 3.8 with sham. The benefit held through 12 weeks of follow-up. It was a single-center study.
• Added to SSRIs. A 2025 multicenter trial of 120 people with moderate to severe depression compared an SSRI alone, an SSRI plus sham, and an SSRI plus intradermal acupuncture, in which tiny needles stay in the skin. After 10 sessions over six weeks, the active acupuncture group improved by about 5 points more on the Hamilton scale than either comparison group. That group also reported fewer palpitations and less sleepiness and nausea.
• Ear acupuncture. A 2023 JAMA Network Open trial of 74 adults compared ear acupuncture at specific points with non-specific ear points. At three months, recovery rates were not significantly different, 58 in 100 versus 43 in 100, so this one did not show a clear benefit.

Depression and sleep

Poor sleep and depression feed each other. A 2018 review of insomnia treatments describes the relationship as running both ways, and notes evidence that treating insomnia, for example with cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, can improve depression too.

This is one area where acupuncture has a strong single trial. In a 2022 JAMA Network Open trial of 270 people with depression and insomnia, eight weeks of electroacupuncture improved sleep quality scores more than sham acupuncture or standard care alone, and the benefit lasted through 24 weeks of follow-up. Depression scores also fell in the electroacupuncture group, by about 10.7 points on the Hamilton scale over the course. The average participant was about 50 years old, and most were women. If broken sleep is a big part of your depression, this is worth knowing.

We will also ask about the habits around your sleep: what time you go to bed and get up, naps, screens, caffeine and alcohol, and what happens when you wake at night. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia is worth asking your doctor about, since the 2018 review found insomnia treatment can help depression as well.

Possible links between needling and mood

Nobody has established how acupuncture influences mood. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health describes possible effects on the nervous system and local tissues, plus nonspecific effects such as expectation. In the intradermal trial, brain scans suggested that active treatment strengthened connections between the striatum, a region involved in reward and motivation, and other areas. Better sleep may be another route. These are early findings, not settled explanations.

Acupuncture alongside antidepressants

Several of the more encouraging results came from adding acupuncture to medicine rather than using it alone. That fits how we work: acupuncture is something you add to your care, not something you swap your prescription for.

Feeling better after a few sessions is not a signal to cut back an antidepressant on your own. That decision should be made with the prescriber, who can plan any change safely. Tell your doctor that you are having acupuncture, and tell us about every medicine you take.

Ayurveda and low mood

Ayurveda has no single category that matches depression. Low mood, withdrawal and loss of energy are traditionally described as dosha imbalances, often heaviness and dullness linked to Kapha or depletion and restlessness linked to Vata, with disturbed sleep and mind. Classical texts describe states such as Vishada, or despondency. These traditional frameworks guide treatment choices; they are not psychiatric diagnoses.

Ayurvedic care for low mood usually centers on rhythm and nourishment: regular meals, sleep and activity, breathing practices and meditation, warm oil massage, and sometimes Shirodhara, in which warm oil is poured in a steady stream over the forehead. Individually prescribed herbs such as ashwagandha may be part of the plan. Panchakarma is not suitable for anyone in a severe depressive episode or at risk of self-harm, nor during pregnancy, acute illness or frailty. These therapies are described on the Ayurvedic care page.

In practice, an Ayurvedic plan for low mood often starts small. Getting up at the same time each day, eating a warm breakfast, stepping outside in daylight, and having a set wind-down hour before bed are typical first steps. When energy is very low, those steps matter more than any herb. Shirodhara is used in Ayurveda to settle the mind; we offer it only when it suits the person and their current state, and we make no claim that it treats depression.

The evidence is limited. Searching the literature, we found no systematic reviews or large trials of whole Ayurvedic programs for depression. A 2021 review of ashwagandha research found improvements in depression and insomnia, though fewer studies looked at these than at stress and anxiety, and the extracts tested varied widely.

Herbs for depression

Several herbs have reasonable evidence. In 2022, the World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry and the Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments published joint clinician guidelines on supplements and herbal products. For depression, they gave positive ratings to St John's wort (the strongest), saffron, curcumin from turmeric, and, more weakly, lavender.

• St John's wort. A 2023 analysis of 14 trials with 2,270 patients found it reduced depression scores with fewer side effects than SSRIs, though results varied between trials.
• Curcumin. A 2021 analysis of 10 trials with 594 patients found a modest reduction in depressive symptoms.
• Saffron. The guideline gave it a positive rating for depression.

Chinese herbal formulas are widely used for low mood in practice. We did not find a systematic review that establishes their effect in depression. Prescribing at our clinic is outlined on the herbs page.

Herb and drug interactions: the serious part

The herb with the best evidence for depression is also the one with the most dangerous interactions. A review of herb-drug interactions reports that St John's wort:

• Caused serotonin syndrome when taken with SSRI antidepressants.
• Lowered blood levels of drugs including ciclosporin, tacrolimus, warfarin, digoxin and amitriptyline.
• Caused breakthrough bleeding and unplanned pregnancies in women taking the contraceptive pill.

Never combine St John's wort or any other mood herb with an antidepressant without your prescriber knowing. Product quality is another concern. Testing reported in JAMA in 2008 turned up lead, mercury or arsenic in around one in five Ayurvedic products ordered online. That is why anything Dr. Gandapodi prescribes is sourced from suppliers that test for contaminants, and only after he has gone through every medicine you take.

When depression comes with physical illness

NIMH notes that depression is linked to conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. Long-term pain, poor sleep and fatigue often travel with it too. When several problems overlap, each can make the others harder to manage, and treating only one rarely brings full relief.

This is part of why people with depression and chronic illness come to an integrative clinic. Dr. Gandapodi will look at pain, sleep, digestion and energy alongside mood, and coordinate with your doctors where needed. If pain is a big part of your day, our pain management pages describe that side of our work.

If you are supporting someone with depression

Family members often find this article before the person who is unwell does. A few practical points: encourage them to see their doctor, offer to help book or travel to appointments, and keep in touch even when they withdraw. If they talk about suicide or you are worried for their safety, NIMH advises calling or texting 988, and calling 911 if there is immediate danger.

If they would like to try acupuncture alongside their medical care, they are welcome to call us themselves, and they can bring you to the first visit if that helps.

Depression during pregnancy and after childbirth

Depression in pregnancy or after a baby arrives is common and treatable, and it needs your obstetrician, midwife or doctor involved. Many herbs are not suitable in pregnancy or while breastfeeding, and some acupuncture points are avoided in pregnancy. If this applies to you, tell us when you book. Our postpartum depression page explains how we approach it.

About your practitioner

Low mood is a personal thing to talk about, so it helps to know who you will be talking to. At Netra Integrative Health Clinic in South Plainfield, that is always Dr. Saikumar Gandapodi, DAOM, Dipl. OM, AP, L.Ac., the clinic's founder and director, from the first conversation to the last treatment.

A large part of his work is with complex and advanced conditions, and he regularly sees people who tried other practitioners first without results. Depression is often bound up with chronic pain, insomnia, digestive trouble, fatigue, hormonal change or long illness, and he looks at the whole picture rather than one symptom. Chinese medicine, Ayurveda and Yoga Therapy all feed into his plans. Expect a frank view of what is realistic: no practitioner can promise a particular result for an individual, and he will not pretend otherwise.

Credentials

The clinical doctorate (DAOM) was earned at Five Branches University, following a master's in Traditional Oriental Medicine at Pacific College of Health and Science. Passing the national boards gave him the Dipl. OM credential; Florida's board certified him as an Acupuncture Physician; and both New Jersey and New York have licensed him for acupuncture and herbal medicine. His Ayurvedic training is classical; he also graduated in Yoga Therapy and trained clinically in India, which shapes the routine, breathing and sleep advice he gives.

Focus

His work centers on internal medicine, long-term and complex illness, joint and muscle problems, and fertility. The condition pages on this site are written and clinically reviewed by him, including depression, anxiety and mood disorders. The team page carries his biography.

The first appointment

Your first visit is a 60-minute consultation; needling usually begins at the next appointment. Dr. Gandapodi will ask how long you have felt this way, how your sleep, appetite, energy and concentration have changed, what support and treatment you have had, and what helps or makes things worse. He will ask directly about thoughts of self-harm, because safety comes first. He will review your medical history and medicines and, as part of the Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic assessment, look at your tongue and feel your pulse.

Please bring:

• Something to identify you, and the card for your health plan.
• Your most recent blood tests, including thyroid results if available; you can send these in advance.
• Everything you take regularly, prescribed or not, with doses, including herbal products.
• Contact details for your doctor, psychiatrist or therapist, so we can coordinate with your consent.
• A recent PHQ-9 score if your doctor has done one.

Before you leave, we will agree on a plan and a review date. Arrival information for newcomers is on the new patients page.

What treatment looks like

Each needling session takes half an hour. You rest on the treatment table while fine, sterile, single-use needles are placed, often on the head, hands, wrists and lower legs, sometimes the ear, and occasionally with mild electrical stimulation. Expect a quick pinprick, then a dull or heavy feeling that settles.

The trials above used courses such as 10 sessions over six weeks or 24 sessions over eight weeks. We usually plan a short initial course and review progress before continuing. More about acupuncture itself is on our acupuncture page, and our article on how many sessions you may need explains course planning.

Measuring progress

Depression can make it hard to notice improvement, so we rely on simple measures rather than memory:

• The PHQ-9, a nine-question depression questionnaire, every two weeks.
• Hours of sleep and how often you wake.
• Days you managed work, chores or time with people you care about.
• Energy and appetite, rated simply as better, the same or worse.

If your scores worsen, or new thoughts of self-harm appear, we will ask you to contact your doctor straight away, and we will help you do so.

Insurance and payment

Of our services, only acupuncture can be billed to insurers. Most health plans include Dr. Gandapodi in their networks. The clinic stays out of Medicare and Medicaid, but it does accept the majority of Medicare Advantage plans that carry an acupuncture benefit. To find out what your plan covers, submit our insurance verification form for a free check, which takes three to five business days, and see the insurance page for background.

Payment for Ayurvedic sessions, herbs of either kind, Panchakarma and Transdermal Medication Therapy comes from you directly. HSA, FSA and HRA funds can cover acupuncture, as explained on our HSA and FSA page. We accept CareCredit, have a senior discount, and offer a financial assistance program for patients who need help with costs.

Safety and warning signs

Acupuncture is a low-risk treatment in trained hands. Across prospective studies pooled in BMJ Open in 2021, roughly 9 patients in 100 had something minor, typically a bruise or a sore spot, and serious harm occurred in around 1 patient per 10,000. Tell us beforehand about blood thinners, bleeding disorders, pregnancy or a pacemaker.

Seek help immediately, by calling or texting 988 or calling 911, if you or someone close to you has:

• Thoughts of suicide, self-harm or harming others, or a plan or means to act on them.
• Hearing or seeing things that are not there, or firmly held beliefs that others find untrue.
• Stopped eating, drinking or caring for themselves.
• Sudden severe agitation, or a spell of extreme highs with very little sleep.
• New confusion or a major change in behavior.

Working with your care team

Acupuncture here is complementary to your medical and psychological care. Your doctor, psychiatrist or therapist continues to diagnose and treat your depression, and we fit around their plan. Keep your appointments with them, and leave decisions about medication to your prescriber. If you agree, we will share a summary of our treatment with your doctor. Doctors and therapists who want to refer can start at the provider referral page. Our mental health section lists related conditions, and if nervousness and worry run alongside your low mood, see our anxiety article.

Frequently asked questions

Is there good evidence that acupuncture lifts depression?

Trials suggest it may reduce symptoms, especially alongside antidepressants, but the quality of evidence is low to moderate and experts disagree about how much weight to give it.

Can acupuncture replace my antidepressant?

No. Acupuncture is an addition to care. Your prescriber is the right person to plan any change in dose.

What does a typical course look like?

Trials have used between 10 and 24 sessions over six to eight weeks. After a short first block, your PHQ-9 and sleep notes tell us whether more is worthwhile.

When do people tend to notice something?

The trials measured results after six to eight weeks of treatment, and one found benefits still present at a 12-week follow-up. Some people notice better sleep first. Your scores are reviewed once the first block is done.

I take a mood stabilizer. Is acupuncture still possible?

Needling does not put any substance into your body, so it does not interact chemically with medicines. Herbs can, so we check every prescription before suggesting any, and your psychiatrist should know what you are doing.

Is it safe with SSRIs?

Yes. Trials have added acupuncture to SSRIs without serious side effects. Herbs are a different matter, and St John's wort must not be combined with an SSRI.

My sleep is terrible. Is that worth mentioning?

In a trial of 270 people with depression and insomnia, electroacupuncture improved sleep more than sham or standard care, and the benefit lasted at least 24 weeks after treatment.

Should I try St John's wort instead?

It has the strongest herbal evidence for depression, but serious interactions with antidepressants, blood thinners, the pill and other drugs. Speak to your doctor or pharmacist before taking it.

What about ashwagandha or turmeric?

Curcumin from turmeric has modest trial support for depressive symptoms. Ashwagandha has some evidence but products vary. Both should be checked against your medicines first.

Will it work for severe depression?

Severe depression needs medical and psychological treatment. A trial in moderate to severe depression found added benefit when acupuncture was combined with an SSRI, but it was not used on its own.

Is ear acupuncture worth trying?

One well-run trial of ear acupuncture in 74 adults did not find a significant difference in recovery at three months compared with non-specific ear points. It may still be used within a wider treatment, but the evidence for the ear alone is weak.

Could a session leave me feeling worse?

Tell us how you feel after each session. If your mood drops, contact your doctor, and if you have any thoughts of self-harm, call or text 988 straight away.

Does my therapist need to know?

Yes. It helps everyone involved to know the full picture, and your therapist may notice changes in sleep or energy that are useful to discuss.

How is acupuncture different from talk therapy?

Talk therapy works on thoughts, behavior and relationships, and it has strong evidence for depression. Acupuncture is a physical treatment with lower-certainty evidence. They are not alternatives, and many people do both.

Will my plan cover treatment for low mood?

For acupuncture, possibly; plans vary, and our staff will look it up at no cost within three to five business days of your request. Herbs and Ayurvedic visits are self-pay.

Are Saturday visits possible?

Yes. We are open Monday to Saturday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, so Saturday visits keep the same hours as weekdays. Booking ahead is required.

Book a consultation

Suite 210 at 5001 Hadley Road, South Plainfield, NJ 07080 is a short trip from Edison, Piscataway, Plainfield, Metuchen, Dunellen and Middlesex, and the directions page shows the route. Reserve your consultation through online scheduling, where a text and email will confirm the time, or phone (908) 402-7301. Please call at least 24 hours ahead if you need to cancel. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 instead of waiting for an appointment.

Written as general education on depression and complementary care; it cannot take the place of a doctor or mental health professional who knows you. In a crisis, the 988 Lifeline is available by call or text. Sources include the National Institute of Mental Health, StatPearls, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, the Cochrane review of acupuncture for depression, later reviews and trials of acupuncture, a 2022 international guideline on herbal and nutritional products in psychiatry, research on herb-drug interactions, and our depression condition page.