As a cantonese saying goes, ‘heart diseases need medicine for heart,’ so how does traditional Chinese medicine prescribe ‘medicine for heart’? It seems like every Hong Kong person has different degrees of symptoms related to depression and anxiety. Have you ever experienced stomach pain when anxious, frequent insomnia, unexplained crying, or a racing heart?

In traditional Chinese medicine, ’emotions’ refer to emotional or psychological activities, which can be understood as joy, anger, worry, thought, sorrow, fear, and surprise. Traditionally, there is also the concept of ‘autumn melancholy,’ which suggests that changes in weather can affect one’s mood.

Can pulse diagnosis reveal emotions?
For people with symptoms of depression and anxiety, their pulse often reflects underlying issues, such as organ dysfunction, heart and gallbladder Qi deficiency, or excessive liver energy. Even facial color can indicate excessive worry and emotional injury!

Many people with emotional issues choose to see Western doctors and take serotonin or tranquilizers. Some believe in emotional counseling support.

Can acupuncture treat ‘heart diseases’?
In fact, traditional Chinese medicine’s herbal decoctions (like Xiao Yao San), acupuncture, and scraping can all have a therapeutic effect. Local universities have published research as early as 2012 on new acupuncture methods that are more effective than placebos in assisting the treatment of depression.