Anxiety
Restore balance: Discover the Science-Backed Benefits of Acupuncture for Anxiety and Mental Health
“[Acupuncture] can significantly decrease the levels of anxiety , tension/muscular discomfort and pain.”
Mayo Clinic
How acupuncture helps
Researchers at the Georgetown University Medical Center made a major contribution to understanding how acupuncture helps fear and stress at the cellular level. They discovered that this treatment interferes with the very mechanism of stress. It blocks the chronic, stress-induced elevations of the HPA axis hormones and the sympathetic NPY pathway. See this study. This has also been covered in the Time magazine.
Other recent studies on mechanism of acupuncture have shown that it triggers an increase in neurotransmitter adenosine an incredible 24-fold, it normalises the sympathetic nervous system to help PCOS patients and restores ovulation.
“The rats who had acupuncture had levels of cortisol in their blood comparable to the control rats that weren’t stressed—and lower cortisol levels than the other stressed-out rats, including the rats who received sham (fake or placebo) acupuncture. Likewise, the stressed-out rats who didn’t receive the treatment showed more anxiety, depression and hopelessness through the behavioural tests, while the acu-treated rats behaved a lot more like the normal rats that hadn’t been exposed to anything.”
Time magazine
Acupuncture and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a type of anxiety disorder that can develop in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event. People with PTSD may experience symptoms like flashbacks, nightmares, intense anxiety, and avoidance of situations that trigger memories of the traumatic event. They may also have difficulty sleeping, have angry outbursts, and may feel irritable or on edge. The symptoms can be severe and last decades. It’s vital for people who are experiencing symptoms of PTSD to seek help from a primary healthcare provider.
Can acupuncture help PTSD?
Acupuncture has shown promising results in the treatment of PTSD. In fact, a case series study has recently suggested that acupuncture treatment may be useful in emergency conditions involving PTSD and emotional trauma, highlighting the the promise and clinical importance of this natural therapy.
Study: Acupuncture for Women With Concurrent Substance Use and Anxiety/Depression
In this clinical experiment, women receiving acupuncture reported significant improvements compared to those in the control group. Specifically, the women noticed reduced physiological cravings for substances. They felt significantly less depressed and anxious and were better able to reflect on and resolve difficulties.
The researchers found that acupuncture, as an adjunct therapy in a comprehensive psychoeducational treatment program. It is a promise of being an effective, more viable treatment alternative to anti-anxiety drugs anxiolytics for women with addictions.
This study was published in Family & Community Health April/June 2007 Volume 30 Number 2 Pages 112 – 120.
Stress and pregnancy/fertility
Anxiety in pregnancy is a common. It may start because of many factors such as stress or changing hormones. Anxiety symptoms can manifest at any stage during your pregnancy and be present throughout all three trimesters.
Pregnancy acupressure reduces labour anxiety and stress. A study published in 2015 has found that acupressure during the birth calmed the mother and reduced the length of labour.
In early pregnancy, acute anxiety can increase chances of miscarriage. Mostly through downregulation of progesterone and thyroxine. Not to mention that effects of stress is harmful to developing baby at all stages of your pregnancy. We recommend acupuncture early on, ideally even before you conceive as preconception care.
Because stress and anxiety may have significant implications on fertility.
A recent study from University of Nottingham in UK found that chronic stress (longer term systemic cortisol) may reduce your chance to conceive with IVF. Higher stress hormones accounted for reduction in pregnancy by almost one-third. The researchers concluded that interventions to reduce cortisol prior to IVF could improve treatment outcomes. Fertility acupuncture has been one of the most effective therapies for reducing anxiety in women trying to conceive either naturally or through IVF.
Book an appointment today
Acupuncture for anxiety, stress and depression is our field of expertise. We have been doing this for more than 20 years. Book an appointment to discover how we can help your situation.