Summary:
Depression is a common mental health condition often accompanied by physical symptoms such as sleep problems, fatigue, pain, and digestive issues. A key limitation of standard antidepressant medications is that they do not always fully improve these physical symptoms, even when mood symptoms improve. Common antidepressants such as SSRIs and SNRIs can also take time to work, may cause side effects, and are less effective in people with treatment-resistant depression. Because of this, there is growing interest in non-drug treatments. This study, a narrative review of existing research in both humans and animals, examines acupuncture as a possible treatment for depression, especially when physical symptoms are a major feature. Research suggests acupuncture may help improve depression by affecting brain chemicals such as serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline, which are involved in both mood and physical symptoms. In addition, it may reduce inflammation in the body and help regulate the stress system, which is often overactive in depression. Clinically, acupuncture showed benefits in different groups of people with depression, including those with long-term or treatment-resistant depression, as well as people with post-stroke or perimenopausal depression. Improvements were seen in both mood symptoms and physical symptoms such as sleep problems, fatigue, pain, and anxiety. When used alongside antidepressants, it may further improve outcomes and reduce side effects, with few reported adverse effects overall. Overall, this review suggests that acupuncture may help depression through multiple pathways in the brain and body, improving both emotional and physical symptoms. However, more high-quality research is still needed to confirm its effectiveness and how best to use it in treatment.
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Abstract:
Depression is frequently accompanied by various somatic symptoms such as sleep disturbances, pain, and gastrointestinal discomfort, which significantly impair patients’ quality of life. Acupuncture, a traditional Chinese medicine therapy, has gained increasing attention in recent years for its promising efficacy in alleviating both depressive symptoms and associated somatic manifestations. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the latest advances in the mechanistic research of acupuncture for treating somatic symptoms of depression, highlighting key areas including modulation of neurotransmitters, alterations in brain functional activity, epigenetic gene regulation, and immune-inflammatory responses. In addition, clinical trial data are systematically examined to evaluate the therapeutic value and safety of acupuncture across different depressive subtypes and related disorders. By integrating recent findings from both clinical and basic research, this article aims to establish a scientific foundation for the theoretical understanding and clinical application of acupuncture in managing somatic symptoms of depression, while also discussing potential directions for future investigations.
Article Publication Date: 11/03/2026
DOI: 10.1186/s43045-026-00626-1
