“Acupuncture stimulates the body’s natural feel-good hormones and reduces the level of stress hormones like cortisol,” says Mathew Kulas, MA, RAc, an acupuncturist at Henry Ford Health System. Studies show that acupuncture is an effective treatment for anxiety, with fewer side effects than medications.
How long does acupuncture take to work for anxiety?
Participants received ten 30-minute sessions of acupuncture over the course of 12 weeks. They experienced a significant reduction in their anxiety, even 10 weeks after treatment.
How does acupuncture relieve stress?
From the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), acupuncture relieves stress by promoting the movement of Qi in the body. According to TCM, the energy that usually flows smoothly throughout the body can become stuck or scattered due to stress or disease.
How many acupuncture sessions are needed for anxiety?
It works by assisting the nervous system achieve balance, alleviating stress and anxiety symptoms. It’s been reported that acupuncture can give individual rapid results, often working within only one to two sessions.
Does acupuncture work for overthinking?
Acupuncture is able to jump-start your body’s own natural healing processes, and stimulate the part of the brain that controls emotions. It can also slow the body’s production of stress hormones, calming the mind and supporting better sleep. The calming effects may be felt after just one treatment.
Can acupuncture help panic attacks?
Acupuncture helps relieve anxiety and panic by addressing this fundamental imbalance in the body, restoring the proper flow of chi along the body’s meridians and enabling the “rest and recover” response to appropriately counter the “fight or flight” response.
Which is better for stress massage or acupuncture?
Massage leaves the body relaxed and more receptive, which makes the acupuncture more powerful. In turn the more blockages the acupuncture dissolves, the more the body relaxes.
Where do you put acupuncture needles for anxiety?
Some of the most effective acupuncture points for treating anxiety are:
- Between the eyebrows.
- Centreline of your head.
- Just below the shoulders blades, along the spine.
- Three fingers down from the crease of your wrist.
Is there any evidence that acupuncture works?
National Institutes of Health (NIH) studies have shown that acupuncture is an effective treatment alone or in combination with conventional therapies to treat the following: Nausea caused by surgical anesthesia and cancer chemotherapy.
What is the success rate of acupuncture?
In the 5690 patients who completed treatment, the mean success rate was 79.7%, with highest rates (93%) being achieved in patients with cephalalgia. The mean reduction in pain intensity was 5.5 (SD 2.5) points amounting to 67% fall from the baseline.
Is acupuncture good for anxiety and depression?
Acupuncture is not a cure-all, but when it’s used as part of an integrative approach to making the entire body well, it can help alleviate the symptoms of depression and anxiety.
What acupuncture points for anxiety?
5 Acupoints for Anxiety You Can Administer Yourself
- Point 1: Shen men or Heart 7. …
- Point 2: The third eye or Yintang. …
- Point 3: Pericardium six. …
- Point 4: Chest center or Conception vessel 17. …
- Point 5: Hundred meetings or Governing vessel 20.
Where do you massage for anxiety?
Find the point on your shoulder muscle. Pinch the muscle with your thumb and middle finger. Apply gentle, firm pressure with your index finger and massage the point for four to five seconds. Release the pinch as you massage the point.
How often should you get acupuncture?
A common treatment plan for a single complaint would typically involve one or two treatments a week. The number of treatments will depend on the condition being treated and its severity. In general, it’s common to receive six to eight treatments.
How can I reduce anxiety?
Try these when you’re feeling anxious or stressed:
- Take a time-out. …
- Eat well-balanced meals. …
- Limit alcohol and caffeine, which can aggravate anxiety and trigger panic attacks.
- Get enough sleep. …
- Exercise daily to help you feel good and maintain your health. …
- Take deep breaths. …
- Count to 10 slowly. …
- Do your best.