Anxiety is a huge issue that we face as a global society. According to the Anxiety and Depressions Association of America (ADAA), anxiety is the most common mental illness in the United States, year after year.
Anxiety affects a little over 18 percent of adults chronically in the United States. More than 31 percent of adults in the United States will experience some type of anxiety disorder in their lifetime. Anxiety disorders have become better understood in recent decades, and thankfully anxiety is taken more seriously than ever before, and there are more treatments than ever before.
Is acupuncture for anxiety a legitimate treatment with effective results? Yes, it is. In this article, we will examine what anxiety is and how specific acupuncture treatments can be a powerful tool to fight the effects of anxiety and improve people’s daily lives dealing with debilitating mental health issues.
What is Anxiety?
There are many different types of diagnosable anxiety disorders, and all humans experience anxiety from time to time. But if the anxiety is persistent and affects someone’s daily life and activities, it’s considered a disorder.
The Mayo Clinic suggests people suffering from anxiety disorders may:
frequently have intense, excessive and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations.
People suffering from anxiety disorders may be able to rationalize their stress, fears, emotions, but it does little to help them control their actions.
For people suffering from any anxiety disorder, daily life can be challenging without proper treatment. Often, the livelihoods of those suffering from anxiety and the people around them are put into difficult circumstances.
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How Can Acupuncture Help With Anxiety?
Although there are many types of anxiety disorders, they all share some common signs and symptoms, such as:
- A sense of impending danger
- Nervousness/restlessness
- Rapid breathing
- Accelerated heart rate
- Trouble sleeping
- Difficulty concentrating
- And more
As acupuncture is a form of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), it focuses on treating the patient’s individual needs, and symptoms vary from person to person. Acupuncture for anxiety is not a treatment based on protocols or “one-size fits all” solutions.
Sadly, many people suffering from anxiety disorders will describe their symptoms to a physician and be prescribed a generalized medication associated with the symptoms. This may not address all of their symptoms or get to the root issues perpetuating the anxiety.
A professional acupuncturist will ask patients a series of questions that pertain to anxiety in an attempt to get an in-depth understanding of the patient’s unique symptoms. The acupuncturist with costume-tailor a program to address the anxiety disorder’s symptoms and the anxiety disorder itself.
Acupuncture targets areas of the body called acupoints to balance displaced energy. In particular, auricular acupuncture is used to treat anxiety disorders because it focuses on aligning the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. These systems are where energy imbalances can happen and an excellent place to help patients feel relief.
By stimulating acupoints on the ears and body, an acupuncturist will restore chi imbalances and stimulate cellular activity, encouraging the body to detoxify and grow new healthy cells, both in the body and the brain.
There are other physiological benefits of acupuncture, such as improving heart rate variability and releasing endorphins – retraining how the body and mind respond to stress.
If you are curious about acupuncture in Massachusetts or are looking for a reliable Weymouth acupuncture clinic, please reach out!
To learn more about acupuncture for anxiety treatments, please contact Jessica. Our in-house acupuncturist, Jessica Grace Redfern MAOM, Lic. Ac has experience working with patients suffering from anxiety disorders. Jessica works to help her patients heal their ailments with effective acupuncture programs.