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Acupuncture for Anxiety: A Natural Approach to Mental Well-Being

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Understanding Anxiety and Its Impact

Anxiety is a common mental health condition that affects millions of individuals worldwide. It can manifest in different ways, including excessive worry, restlessness, and panic attacks. While there are various conventional treatments available, some individuals seek complementary and alternative medicine to improve their anxiety symptoms. One such treatment that has gained popularity in recent years is acupuncture for anxiety, coupled with traditional Chinese medicine. In this blog post, we’ll discuss the benefits of acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine in Edmonton for individuals suffering from anxiety.

Reducing Stress and Anxiety with Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a form of traditional Chinese medicine that involves the insertion of fine needles at specific points on the skin to stimulate the body’s natural healing abilities. It is believed that this form of treatment can adjust the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, release neurotransmitters such as endorphins, and regulate cortisol levels in the body, reducing stress levels.

According to a study conducted by the University of York, England, acupuncture may help reduce anxiety symptoms. In this randomized controlled trial, patients with moderate to severe anxiety received ten sessions over a twelve-week period. The results demonstrated that patients receiving traditional acupuncture experienced a significant reduction in anxiety symptoms compared to the control group. Another study conducted by researchers from Kyung-Hee University in Korea found that acupuncture treatment can activate the hippocampus and the amygdala, two areas of the brain linked to regulating this response to stress.

Boosting Well-Being Through Traditional Chinese Medicine

Acupuncture’s ability to balance energy flow within the body is one of the essential principles of traditional Chinese medicine. The harmonious flow of energy can help increase an individual’s sense of well-being and mental clarity while reducing anxiety symptoms. Additionally, traditional Chinese medicine recognizes that anxiety may have different underlying causes, such as weak digestive function and liver qi stagnation.

In one systematic review conducted by the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, researchers stated that traditional Chinese medicine could improve anxiety and depression symptoms. This review examined various studies on anxiety and depression research between 1990 and 2009. The findings indicated that traditional Chinese medicine, such as herbal remedies, acupuncture, and Qigong, may be beneficial in treating anxiety disorders.

Why Consider Acupuncture for Anxiety?

Acupuncture, coupled with traditional Chinese medicine, has a significant role in treating individuals with anxiety. Studies show that acupuncture for anxiety can reduce symptoms while also promoting overall well-being. This type of care balances the body’s energy flow to achieve a state of equilibrium between the mind and body, while traditional Chinese medicine targets the root cause of anxiety.

If you’re experiencing anxiety symptoms and inclined towards exploring alternative medicine, considering acupuncture for anxiety may be the right step in alleviating your symptoms. Give us a call at 780-455-2112 to get started. Check out our office at ocwc.ca.

Anxiety Support with Acupuncture

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It’s no secret that anxiety affects many individuals worldwide. Symptoms of anxiety can be numerous, including restlessness, panic attacks, excessive worry, and more. While conventional treatments like medication and cognitive behavioral therapy are typically the first line of defense against the condition. Alternative and complementary therapies like acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine have been found to offer significant benefits. In this blog post, we’ll explore the ways that acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine can help individuals suffering from anxiety. 

Acupuncture Helps to Alleviate Anxiety Symptoms 

Acupuncture, has been found to be an effective complementary therapy for anxiety. The ancient Chinese practice involves the insertion of thin needles into the skin at specific points on the body. According to traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture helps to balance the flow of energy, or qi, within the body, which can soothe symptoms. Studies have shown that acupuncture can help alleviate symptoms. For example, a 2013 study published in the Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies found that acupuncture helped to decrease levels in patients with generalized anxiety disorder. Similarly, a 2018 study published in the Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine found that acupuncture helped to reduce anxiety symptoms in cancer patients. 

Traditional Chinese Medicine Offers a Holistic Approach 

Traditional Chinese medicine is a holistic system of healing. It that includes various practices, including acupuncture, herbal medicine, dietary therapy, and more. Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners believe that anxiety results from an imbalance in the body, often involving the liver and spleen. Through various modalities, traditional Chinese medicine aims to treat the root cause rather than just its symptoms. Chinese herbal medicine can be used to support liver function and promote relaxation. While dietary therapy can help to address deficiencies that may be exacerbating. 

Both Modalities Can Be Used Together 

What’s interesting about acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine is that they often work best when used together. By using both modalities, individuals can benefit from acupuncture’s targeted approach to addressing symptoms while also addressing underlying imbalances through traditional Chinese medicine practices like herbal medicine and dietary therapy. 

Anxiety can be a challenging condition to live with, but acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine offer hope for individuals seeking alternative and complementary therapies. While it’s always important to consult with medical professionals and mental health experts regarding treatment options, acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine can be a valuable addition to a comprehensive anxiety management plan.

With their combined efforts, individuals suffering from anxiety can experience greater overall health and wellbeing. Call us @ 780-455-2112. Check out our office @ ocwc.ca. 

Yintang And Acupuncture For Stress An Anxiety

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Yintang is an acupuncture point that is located on the forehead midway between the eyebrows.  It is a wonderful point that calms the mind, reduces stress, and helps relax the sympathetic nervous system.  As such, it is a point that is excellent in treating anxiety, insomnia, restlessness, and headaches.  In combination with other points it can also treat hypertension, sinusitis, allergies and dizziness.  While the location may seem intimidating, having this point needled usually puts patients right to sleep! 

How does acupuncture actually work to reduce stress/anxiety?

In the most basic terms, acupuncture regulates the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.  The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for the body’s “fight or flight response”, and the parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for the “rest and digest” phase.  Most people with high stress levels or who deal with anxiety have an overactive sympathetic nervous system, which means their body gets stuck in the fight or flight response.  This results in symptoms like restlessness, insomnia, mind racing, and palpitations to name a few.  If left untreated, there can be more severe long term effects such as high blood pressure, heart attack, or stroke.  Acupuncture and TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) regulates your body’s hormones and forces it out of the fight or flight phase, into the more calm rest/digest phase. A study done at Georgetown University Medical Center found that “acupuncture blocks the chronic, stress-induced elevations of the HPA axis hormones and the sympathetic NPY pathway” (Eshkevari et al, 2013).  The acupuncture point Yintang is a cornerstone point for treating stress and anxiety, and will be used in almost all point prescriptions for those (and similar) conditions.

 

How quickly can acupuncture help me?

While acupuncture is not an immediate fix, most patients feel at least some mild relief after their first treatment.  The treatment plan, including frequency and number of visits, is customized to each patient.  Generally, for conditions which are acute (occurring for 6 weeks or less), it takes fewer treatments to see full resolution of symptoms.  For chronic conditions (occurring for 6 or more weeks), it will likely take between 3-5 treatments to see significant, lasting change in symptoms.   A full course of treatment could be between 8-10 treatments depending on the severity of the case.  For each patient, your acupuncturist will create a specially tailored plan based on your medical history and wellness goals.  

 

If you would like to know more about this point or acupuncture in general, contact us today at 780-455-2112 or info@ocwc.ca

Visit our website to learn more about our registered acupuncturist! www.ocwc.ca

References:

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-03/gumc-sos031113.php

Acupuncture for Anxiety in Edmonton

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Anxiety disorders can develop for a number of reasons. The origin of Generalized Anxiety Disorder or panic disorder can be stress related, or it can be due to chemical imbalances associated with a developing health issue. While anxiety medication is helpful as a coping tool, it is not without some risk. If you have recently been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, considering acupuncture as part of your treatment is a good idea. Here are some of the reasons why.

How Acupuncture Works

Acupuncture is based on the understanding that health requires a proper emotional and physical balance in the body. The energy field of the body is in perfect sync when nothing interferes with that energy flow. Illness comes about when some sort of blockage takes place. The best way to deal with the situation is remove the block and restore the proper flow.

Acupuncture does this by using thin needles at various points in the body known as meridians. Inserting the needles at points understood to relate to the mind and the nervous system removes whatever is preventing the body from healing. As this relates to anxiety disorders, the treatments restore the energy flow needed to produce as reasonable amount of neurotransmitters and calm the mind.

What to Expect During the First Treatment

Many patients who seek acupuncture as a way to treat anxiety find that the mind racing associated with the condition begins to calm during the first session. The needles cause no discomfort while the calm and controlled atmosphere provides a sense of peace that anxiety sufferers find hard to achieve. This benefit alone makes the sessions worth the time and effort.

 How About Later?

As the sessions continue, the patient notices that the periods of feeling calm and back to normal last for a longer period of time. It is easier to return to places where panic attacks occurred and find that they do not happen again.

As first one and then another place is reclaimed as being what anxiety sufferers call safe places, the fear of an attack occurring begins to fade. What was reduced to a limited existence by the anxiety is suddenly a much larger world with nothing to fear and everything to look forward to enjoying.

If you are living with anxiety in Edmonton, contact the Oliver Chiropractic Wellness Clinic today by calling 780-455-2112. With the right combination of treatments, you’ll soon be on the way to feeling normal again.