How Acupuncture for Anxiety Works
Acupuncture is based on stimulation of our feel good and calming acupoints. It also works by reducing cortisol levels (stress hormone) and creating an overall sense of calmness in the body through stimulation of our parasympathetic nervous system.
For example, there are acupoints that are targeted for calming the mind, refreshing the brain and opening orifices, soothing liver and spleen.
Stimulation of the appropriate acupoints has a neuro mechanism that affects our biochemical markers involved in neuro signals that are activated when we suffer from anxiety and depression.
What Are the Benefits?
Numerous studies have investigated the power of acupuncture for anxiety and the results have consistently shown the positive effect of the procedure for treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).
Acupuncture is a therapeutic method used to encourage natural healing, reduce or relieve pain, and improve the function of affected areas of the body. Acupuncture involves the insertion of very fine needles through the skin and tissues at specific points on the body. There is no injection of any substance and the treatment itself causes minimal discomfort.
Acupuncture stimulates the body to produce its own pain-relieving chemicals called “endorphins”. These chemicals mimic morphine by attaching to opiate receptor sites found throughout the nervous system. Endorphins help to block pathways that relay pain messages from the body to the brain, resulting in relief of pain, general relaxation, and biochemical restoration of the body’s own internal regulation systems. The improved energy and biochemical balance produced by acupuncture, reducing inflammation and promoting physical and emotional well-being.