Low mood is common, treatable, and badly served by anyone promising a simple fix. This page describes what Chinese medicine offers as part of a wider picture — not instead of your GP, your psychologist, or medication that is working.
Stagnation, and what the classics saw
Chinese medicine has described what we would call depression for centuries under yu zheng — stagnation syndromes. Liver qi stagnation is the core: a stuck, frustrated, sighing heaviness, often with a lump-in-the-throat sensation, irritability and premenstrual worsening. Where it has drained the system, Spleen and Heart deficiency follows — exhaustion, poor appetite, broken sleep, tearfulness. Where stagnation has turned to heat, agitation and insomnia dominate. Phlegm clouding the mind describes the foggy, unmotivated, heavy presentation.
The Systematic Classic puts it in a single line: a vacuity of heart qi leads to melancholy and sorrow, and repletion leads to incessant laughter. What is notable is the framing. Low mood is presented as a state of the body’s qi with a direction to it — something depleted rather than something wrong with the person — and the same chapter sets out how worry, anger and reflection each land on a different organ. That is a description, not a treatment claim, and it sits alongside rather than in place of the care you are already receiving.
What support for low mood looks like
Treatment uses calming and moving point combinations, often with ear acupuncture, and herbal medicine matched to the pattern — the formula families for qi stagnation are among the most prescribed in the entire tradition. Sessions are unhurried, which is part of the point: an hour of quiet, undemanding attention is not nothing. We ask directly about safety, and we will encourage professional mental health support where it is warranted.
What the Cochrane review actually found
The Cochrane review of acupuncture for depression (Smith and colleagues, 2018) found reductions in depression severity compared with control conditions, but rated the evidence as low quality and called for better trials (doi:10.1002/14651858.CD004046.pub4). That is a modest finding and we report it as one. The anxiety literature is somewhat stronger (Yang and colleagues, 2021), and anxiety and low mood travel together often enough that it is relevant here.
How we approach low mood here
People come to Balmoral and Alexandra Hills for low mood in two situations: alongside treatment that is already helping, wanting something additional; and when they are not yet ready to see anyone about it, and a physical-feeling appointment is an easier door. Both are legitimate reasons. We will treat you, and we will gently keep the conversation about proper mental health support open.
Small levers that genuinely move mood
The evidence-backed basics genuinely work and are worth more than any supplement: regular movement, particularly outdoors and in morning light; a consistent wake time; real contact with other people even when you do not feel like it; and limiting alcohol, which reliably deepens low mood a day later. Structure helps more than motivation — do things at set times rather than waiting to feel like it. And tell one person how you are actually going.
When to reach for more help
If you are having thoughts of harming yourself, please talk to someone today — your GP, or Lifeline on 13 11 14. Low mood with weight loss, sleep disturbance and loss of interest lasting more than a couple of weeks deserves a GP assessment. Never stop antidepressant medication without medical advice. New low mood in an older adult, or alongside physical symptoms, needs medical work-up as part of the picture.
Individual responses vary, and assessment determines whether this approach suits your situation. Call (07) 3820 2887 or book online at our Balmoral or Alexandra Hills clinics.
Questions we hear about mood
Can acupuncture replace antidepressants?
No, and we will not suggest it. Medication decisions belong with your prescriber, and stopping abruptly can be harmful. Treatment here runs alongside whatever is working for you.
Do I have to talk about everything?
Not at all. Some people use the appointment to talk; others want an hour of quiet. Both work. We ask what we need clinically and follow your lead on the rest.
Should I see a psychologist as well?
For persistent low mood, psychological therapy has strong evidence and we will encourage it. Your GP can arrange a mental health plan. Our care sits alongside that, not in place of it.
References
- Smith CA, Armour M, Lee MS, Wang L-Q, Hay PJ. Acupuncture for depression. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2018;(3):CD004046. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD004046.pub4
- Yang et al. Effectiveness of acupuncture on anxiety disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Annals of General Psychiatry. 2021;20:9. doi:10.1186/s12991-021-00327-5
- Huangfu Mi. The Systematic Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion (Zhen Jiu Jia Yi Jing), c. 259 CE. Translated by Yang Shou-zhong and Charles Chace. Boulder: Blue Poppy Press, 1994.
Written and clinically reviewed by Dr Francesco Pennisi
Registered Acupuncturist, Chinese Herbalist & Chinese Medicine Practitioner · Chinese Medicine Board of Australia (AHPRA) · AACMA Member
Dr Francesco brings more than 30 years of clinical experience to Results Acupuncture’s Balmoral and Alexandra Hills clinics, combining acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine and related therapies.
