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7 Ways Acupuncture Can Help Reduce Anxiety Symptoms: A Deep Dive

Health

Of all the different forms of acupuncture, anxiety acupuncture is both one of the most popular and one of the most widely researched. It can also be linked to other common uses of acupuncture, such as in the treatment of chronic pain, as this can often be linked to stress. The reasons acupuncture may help alleviate anxiety and stress are numerous and complex, but there is some logic behind it.

  1. Activate healing processes

The penetration of the acupuncture needles is not enough to cause real damage to your skin, but it is enough to activate the body’s healing processes. This range of physiological responses, including the stimulation of blood flow, can have a powerful physical and mental impact, making you better able to handle your anxiety.

  1. Sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems

You have probably heard the phrase “fight or flight” before. It is the phrase used for our instinctive reaction to a dangerous or stressful situation. It is controlled by the sympathetic nervous system. Everything in our body gears up to either run away from the enemy or to attack it. This works as a short-term solution, giving us the boost we need to deal with a temporary threat, but when it becomes chronic pain, it can put the body under a lot of strain. Acupuncture may help you switch from the sympathetic to the parasympathetic nervous system and what is colloquially called “rest and digest” mode, taking your body out of the state of emergency and allowing it to recalibrate and relax.

  1. Changing hormone levels

Part of the fight or flight response is a surge of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. These are what increase your heart rate, cause you to breathe faster and generally prepare you for action, but they may also contribute to the shaking, sweating and nausea of anxiety. One way to try to reduce the levels of these hormones is to apply acupuncture. This is not the only way acupuncture may help regulate your hormone levels; it also causes the release of endorphins in the brain, which are hormones that work as pain relief and help to boost your mood.

  1. Changes brain activity

Hormone balance is controlled in part by the brain, but this is not the only way that acupuncture may change your brain activity so you can better deal with stress. You might also see changes to your neurotransmitters and your brain’s overall electrical activity. This is all an important part of how you react to anxiety and how symptoms may or may not manifest. Impacts on the brain are not just physical, either. You may see cognitive improvements such as clearer focus, better memory and fewer intrusive or harmful thoughts.

  1. Cardiovascular improvements

Blood flow, blood pressure, and heart rate are all things that change when we’re stressed, in part due to our brain, hormones and nervous system. When they are not working in a healthy way, it can cause more serious problems in the long term, potentially even increasing your risk of heart attacks or strokes. Reducing your stress levels and associated symptoms of anxiety is an important way to improve your overall cardiovascular health.

  1. Relax the muscles

Physical tension from anxiety can cause headaches and stomach aches, along with all sorts of other pains. It can also disturb your sleep. It may seem counterintuitive, but having needles inserted into your skin as part of acupuncture can be a relaxing experience. As all the previously discussed shifts in your brain and nervous system take place, you can release some of the tension that has built up in your body. This will hopefully mean you feel more relaxed, with fewer aches and pains, which in turn should help you sleep better and therefore boost your recovery even more.

  1. Anxiety acupuncture is a complementary alternative therapy

Some of the most common treatments for anxiety include medication and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). However, these might not work for everyone. Sometimes, the side effects of medication cause more harm than good. CBT is dependent on finding a good therapist for you and having enough time and money to support a full course of treatment. Failed therapies are a source of stress that can aggravate anxiety. Acupuncture cannot replace regular medicine, but it can be used alongside it or as an alternative when other forms do not work, hopefully providing a solution that is effective for you.

Conclusion

There is no single perfect solution to curing the symptoms of anxiety, and it may take some experimentation to find the right treatment or combination of treatments that works for you. However, there is evidence that anxiety acupuncture may be able to help you in a variety of ways, and it is certainly worth consideration.