Anxiety sufferers often have a difficult time dealing with their condition. Unfortunately, there is not much that Western medicine can offer to help them with their problem. Because of this, many of them are turning to alternative therapies such as acupuncture and other forms of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for help.
What is Anxiety?
Anxiety is a normal emotional response to situations that are beyond a person’s control. People normally get anxious when, for example, they are about to speak in public or take an exam. However, there are people who experience severe anxiety for even minor events. Some suffer from panic attacks frequently that tend to affect their health and sleep. These are good reasons to seek out ways to lessen their anxiety levels on a day to day basis.
What is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is based on the existence of a life energy flowing in our body. This life force is called Qi or Chi by the Chinese who have been using acupuncture thousands of years as way to treat a wide range of illnesses and disease. When Chi circulates smoothly and freely throughout the body, the person experiences good health. But when this circulation is blocked or becomes imbalanced, the person develops sickness and/or pain. When this occurs, the acupuncturist uses needles to restore balance to the flow of chi and/or clear out the blockage to the flow. The body site where a needle is inserted is called an acupoint. There are more than 2,000 of these points scattered throughout the body and underneath them lie the channels where Chi flow. These channels are called meridians and the body possesses a dozen internal primary meridians. Before the needling process begins, the acupuncturist first needs to know the medical history and physically examine the patient using diagnostic tools unique to Chinese medicine. These are the ways to diagnose the patient’s condition and to know what acupoints needs to be treated. A good acupuncturist will come up with a plan of treatment that is unique and in accord with the needs of the patient.
Acupuncture and Anxiety
Studies have been done that validated the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating anxiety. More often than not, the patients who go for acupuncture have already tried prescription medications to no effect. And since studies have revealed acupuncture’s superiority over medications when it comes to treating anxiety, a growing number of physicians in the United States are now integrating acupuncture into their treatment of anxiety with impressive results. It is thought that acupuncture stimulates Chi that calms the mind and relaxes the body helping reduce anxiety levels. It is also suspected that one of the reasons why acupuncture works for anxiety is that it raises the level of “feel-good” hormones such as serotonin in the body. Chronic and severe anxiety sufferers usually have low levels of serotonin in their body. Acupuncture raises serotonin levels leading to the relief of anxiety in the mind and body.
Other Options
Some individuals may not really show interest in getting acupuncture treatment for certain reasons. Obviously, the fear of needles is one of the biggest reasons to avoid acupuncture. The fear of needles may even aggravate the anxiety even more which defeats the purpose of acupuncture treatment. If this is the case, you need to know that there are other less scary acupuncture techniques you can opt for. One of these is cupping, a very non-invasive procedure that works in the same way as acupuncture but without the needles.
Besides cupping, there are other alternative and TCM treatments you can avail of. Meditation, progressive relaxation, physiotherapy, yoga, and Tai chi are some of the therapies you can consider. For anxiety sufferers, a treatment they feel most at ease is the best treatment they can get. If you are seeking out alternative therapies for your anxiety problem, it is advisable to do a little research and talk to your doctor about a type of treatment that is best for you.
Danielle DeVivo is a licensed acupuncturist in Saratoga Springs, NY, and the founder and clinical director of Phoenix Rising Acupuncture & Herbal Clinic.
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