Few disorders can be as debilitating and exhausting as anxiety. Not only does it affect an individual mentally and emotionally, it also can cause physical conditions such as irritable bowel, migraines and tension headaches, and back pain. If left untreated, it can become chronic and costly to both the individual and society.
The most popular treatments don’t offer much hope as all drug therapies have recorded side effects, may of which cause even more mental/emotional symptoms. With about 1 in 6 adults being plagued by this illness, the statistics can be devastating. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) Acupuncture can provide some hope. Needles may not seem like the most likely tool to treat stress and anxiety, but by tapping into the brain’s most basic biological function, acupuncture keeps stress under control.
In general, acupuncture is believed to stimulate the nervous system and cause the release of neurotransmitters. The resulting biochemical changes influence the body’s homeostatic mechanisms, thus promoting physical and emotional well being.
Specifically, acupuncture treats anxiety by:
- Reducing sensitivity to pain and stress, as well as promoting relaxation
- Altering the brain’s mood density to combat negative states
- Reversing pathological changes in levels of inflammatory cytokines that are associated with anxiety.
When treating anxiety, we treat the whole person. When you experience anxiety, which is a mental or emotional condition, we look for associated physical symptoms such as heart palpitations. Acupuncture treatments are based on treating your mental, emotional, and physical symptoms. Needles are placed at specific points on your body to help re-balance your energy, strengthening it where it s weak and moving it where it is “stuck.” In addition, we use Auricular Acupuncture for acute onset anxiety and even behavioral modifications.
The resulting effect from an Acupuncture treatment is a feeling of relaxation, calm and an overall sense of well-being – And couldn’t we all use that from time to time?