AcupunctureIs acupuncture a viable treatment for depression? A review of scientific studies (called a meta-analysis) was published in the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry (2012 Jul; 57(7):397-405) indicates that acupuncture does help patients with depression. The article looked at studies that utilized electrical, laser and manual (needle) acupuncture for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). Some of the studies looked at the ability of acupuncture to augment the effectiveness of anti depressant drugs. Acupuncture did not further reduce depression in those patients who were already medicated, but it did reduce the side-effects of the drugs.