Anxiety
What Is Acupuncture For Anxiety?
Acupuncture, an ancient practice that involves inserting needles into pressure points on your body, is becoming a popular alternative treatment for anxiety. There’s some scientific evidence that acupuncture helps with certain symptoms of anxiety. However, researchers are still trying to determine the effect of acupuncture on specific types of anxiety, such as panic attacks, post-traumatic stress disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Anxiety Disorder Symptoms
The main symptom of anxiety disorders is excessive fear or worry. Anxiety disorders can also make it hard to breathe, sleep, stay still, and concentrate. Your specific symptoms depend on the type of anxiety disorder you have.
Common symptoms are:
Breathing faster and more quickly than normal (hyperventilation)
Heart palpitations
Dry mouth
Breathing faster and more quickly than normal (hyperventilation)
Heart palpitations
Dry mouth
Nausea
Tense muscles
Dizziness
Thinking about a problem over and over again and unable to stop (rumination)
Inability to concentrate
Intensely or obsessively avoiding feared objects or places
How Acupuncture for Anxiety Works?
Ancient Chinese medicine describes an energy force called Qi that regulates the body’s overall health, according to the University of Chicago Medicine. Like blood in the circulatory system, Qi moves throughout the body via pathways called meridians.
When factors like injury, stress, poor nutrition, or a change in environment disrupt the flow of Qi, health issues follow, according to the University of Miami Health System.
By inserting needles at specific points in the body, acupuncturists restore the balance of Qi and the body’s overall health, University of Chicago Medicine reports.
Acupuncturists insert each needle half a millimeter away from a nerve. Depending on where the needles go, acupuncture can cause the nervous system to produce painkilling chemicals, jump-start the body’s natural ability to heal itself, or stimulate the part of the brain that controls emotions, including anxiety. All of these results, Hsu adds, can help people feel more balanced and treat a variety of illnesses.
Does Acupuncture Help With Anxiety?
Acupuncture may help with anxiety for some people. There have been studies that showed this therapy reduced anxiety symptoms.
However, these results may not apply to people who experience generalized anxiety that occurs in many situations or have specific anxiety disorders. Because there are different types of anxiety and anxiety disorders, it is important to differentiate how acupuncture affects each one.
However, in general, few acupuncture studies focus on its benefits for:
- Panic disorder
- Phobia
- Social anxiety disorder
- Separation anxiety disorder
An additional drawback to the existing studies is that they often have small numbers of participants and are not easy to replicate due to study design issues.
Home-Based Acupuncture Strategies For Managing Anxiety
Acupuncture relies on stimulating specific points in the body, most often with needles, to improve health and well-being.
So how do you maintain those feel-good results in between sessions? “There are several things people can do at home to extend the benefits they achieve immediately after an acupuncture session,” Kulas says. Here are six of his favorites:
Pay attention to your diet
Diet plays a key role in maintaining the effects of acupuncture. Instead of leaving your session and noshing on pizza and beer, fuel up on a plant-based meal and drink plenty of water. Consider making an appointment with a plant-based nutritionist to help you learn how to incorporate more antioxidant- and nutrient-rich plants into your diet.
Try ear seeds
An acupuncturist applies these small seeds to stimulate the pressure points in your ear and promote healthy energy flow in the body. Acupuncturists often use seeds when treating panic attacks or nicotine addiction. They can be helpful for issues like weight loss and pain management, too.
Get moving
Movement is therapy. Techniques like yoga, tai chi, and qigong can help you maintain balance in your body. You can find relevant videos on YouTube to walk you through a stress-reducing practice. It only takes a few minutes to stretch your whole body between tasks with a set of sun salutations or a simple child’s pose. Or just lift your shoulders to your ears, hold, and release with a deep exhale.
Breathe deeply
While many breathing exercises might help you relax, Kulas suggests keeping it simple. Try a four-breath cycle per minute to slow your breathing and reset your nervous system: Inhale for seven seconds, pause, then exhale for seven seconds.
Self-massage
Self-massage can help alleviate mild to moderate pain in muscle and connective tissue. Acupressure is a form of massage that targets specific acupuncture points with pressure along with deep breathing. Self-acupressure can also treat psycho-emotional, gastrointestinal, and neuropathic ailments. Ask your acupuncturist for customized acupressure point combinations for your specific health concerns.
Maintain social connections
The pandemic has dramatically affected our ability to stay connected with friends and family. While you may need to maintain a safe physical distance between yourself and others, that doesn’t mean your social connections need to take a hit. Do what you can to create feelings of connection with those living inside your own home. Try family yoga time, acupressure on each other, or cook a delicious plant-based meal.
How Acupuncture Treatment Performed for Anxiety?
Your acupuncturist will work with you to understand your health goals before placing any needles in your skin. As part of your initial assessment, you’ll do a thorough walkthrough of your medical history with your practitioner. Then, you’ll relax on a comfortable table, typically face up, while very fine needles—about the width of a hair—are carefully inserted under the surface of your skin. When placed correctly, they shouldn’t hurt.
But the needles don’t just go in random spots across your body. They need to be inserted into acupoints—very specific locations based on your physical or mental symptoms. Points for anxiety may include your breastbone, ears, between your eyebrows, or the insides of your wrists.
Getting Started With Acupuncture
When it comes to trying acupuncture, you have nothing to lose, Hsu says. With a certified acupuncturist, the risks are almost nonexistent and are far outweighed by the potential benefits. The majority of Eshkevari’s patients have told her they sleep better and have a stronger sense of overall well-being after just a few sessions.
If you’re already receiving treatment for anxiety, Eshkevari suggests adding acupuncture to your current regimen. If you decide it works for you, you can work with your doctor to wean off anxiety medication. First, though, contact your insurance provider to find out whether it covers any acupuncturists in your area. Then talk with a practitioner — ask questions and openly discuss a potential treatment plan.
What To Expect?
When you go in for your first appointment, your acupuncturist will start by asking you which symptoms you’re looking to treat. They’ll also ask about any medications you take, your medical history, and any other health concerns you have. This is a good time to ask any lingering questions you have about the process.
During your actual session, they’ll insert long, thin needles into different pressure points on your body. Depending on the pressure points used, this could take anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes. Your acupuncturist might also twist the needles or apply an electrical pulse to them. They’ll leave the needles in for up to 20 minutes before carefully removing them.
You likely won’t feel instant gratification. Most acupuncture treatments are intended to be repeated. Some people report immediate improvements but most notice subtle and gradual changes with repeated visits.
Before you go, make sure you understand the costs involved. Some health insurance plans cover acupuncture for medical or mental health conditions, including anxiety, but others don’t.
What Happens During Acupuncture Treatment?
During your actual session, they’ll insert long, thin needles into different pressure points on your body. Depending on the pressure points used, this could take anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes. Your acupuncturist might also twist the needles or apply an electrical pulse to them. They’ll leave the needles in for up to 20 minutes before carefully removing them.
You likely won’t feel instant gratification. Most acupuncture treatments are intended to be repeated. Some people report immediate improvements but most notice subtle and gradual changes with repeated visits.
What Are The Benefits?
There have been several studies done about the effects of acupuncture on anxiety. These studies have focused mostly on generalized anxiety disorder and suggest that acupuncture helps treat general anxiety.
While we need to better understand how acupuncture affects anxiety, panic attacks, and phobias, research is showing promise for acupuncture as a viable and safe option. If you have anxiety that hasn’t responded to other treatment methods, or you’re simply interested in trying something new, acupuncture shouldn’t worsen your symptoms.
Are There Any Risks?
While acupuncture won’t make your anxiety worse, it does come with some possible side effects and risks. You can avoid most of these by making sure you see a licensed acupuncturist. In the United States, license requirements vary from state to state, but most require taking an exam from the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.
The main side effect that people experience with acupuncture is soreness following a session. This usually goes away within a few hours, though it can also leave some bruising. Some people also feel pinpricks of pain during a session.
Licensed acupuncturists are required to use sterile, disposable needles. You could get an infection if your practitioner didn’t use properly sterilized needles. The Mayo Clinic notes that these complications are very uncommon if you see an experienced, certified acupuncturist.
People with some health conditions shouldn’t have acupuncture. You should avoid acupuncture if you:
- Have a pacemaker
- Have a bleeding condition, such as hemophilia
It’s also important to keep up with any ongoing anxiety treatment, including prescribed medications while getting acupuncture. You shouldn’t stop any medications without first discussing them with your doctor.
Results Of Acupuncture Treatment For Anxiety
Acupuncture therapy aimed at reducing anxiety in patients with Generalised anxiety disorder has certain beneficial effects compared to non-acupuncture therapy. More high-quality Randomised controlled trials should be conducted to fully understand the role of acupuncture in the treatment of anxiety disorder.
FAQ's
?
How Many Sessions Of Acupuncture Are Needed For Anxiety?
We generally recommend acupuncture visits one to two times a week for anxiety issues and the duration of treatment depends on how chronic the anxiety is, lifestyle factors, and whether you can reduce exposure to stressors that may be contributing to your stress and anxiety.
?
How Successful Is Acupuncture For Anxiety?
The bottom line. Acupuncture may be an effective low-risk treatment option for anxiety. More research is being done but there is the promise and it shouldn't make your symptoms worse. Make sure you find a properly trained licensed acupuncturist in your state — they'll be registered with the state health board.
?
Can Acupuncture Improve Mental Health?
Acupuncture can benefit individuals living with high levels of stress and anxiety disorders. The stress-relieving elements of acupuncture help to also improve emotional regulation, and overall mood, and boost overall feelings of well-being.
?
Can Acupuncture Help With Chronic Inflammation?
One well-researched effect of acupuncture is reducing inflammation throughout the body. Acupuncture stimulates chemicals that reduce swelling and quiet unwanted immune responses and allergic reactions.
?
How long does acupuncture take for anxiety?
It's been reported that acupuncture can give individuals rapid results, often working within only one to two sessions. However, like any treatment, results and the number of sessions will vary from person to person.
?
What are common feelings after acupuncture?
In general, people tend to feel relaxed after an acupuncture treatment. And the days following might even mean better sleep, digestion, and an overall sense of well-being. But some patients report having a deeper, more intense effect in the days following a session.
Contact us today
To find out how we can help you return optimal health and wellness!
