Acupuncture For Stress & Anxiety

Stress and anxiety can affect anyone at any time for a multitude of reasons and the effects they can have on the mind and body can be quite significant. 

Common effects of stress include high blood pressure, obesity, stroke, heart disease and diabetes, as well as headaches, muscle pain and tension, fatigue, a feeling of overwhelm, stomach upsets, and insomnia. It can also lead to anxiety and depression if it’s left untreated.

There are lots of ways in which stress and anxiety can be managed to help alleviate your symptoms and help protect your health, including regular exercise, relaxation techniques like mindfulness and meditation, eating a healthy well-balanced diet, getting sufficient sleep and avoiding alcohol and smoking.

However, you may also find that acupuncture is of particular benefit if you’re struggling with your symptoms and aren’t sure what to do.

How does acupuncture help with stress and anxiety?

Acupuncture involves the insertion of very fine needles into various pressure points around the body, helping to restore balance and keep you in good health. Different pressure points are targeted depending on your symptoms and what it is you’re keen to resolve.

For stress, acupuncture can help the body move away from its fight or flight response, activating the parasympathetic nervous system by promoting the release of hormones such as endorphins.

These encourage the body to relax so that you’re better able to let go of any feelings of stress you may have, restoring circulation in the body and reducing tension so that our organs are able to work as they should.

Because stress affects everyone differently, your practitioner will work with you closely to devise a bespoke acupuncture programme that will treat your symptoms and where you’re feeling pain and tension.

You’ll also find that going for acupuncture helps to address any feelings of anxiety you may be experiencing right now, working to regulate and restore balance to the autonomic nervous system.

Pressure points targeted for anxiety include between the eyebrows, on the feet, on the insides of the wrists, in and around the ears, and on the breastbone. Studies show that acupuncture can be useful in addressing conditions including generalised anxiety disorder, panic disorders, phobias, agoraphobia, social anxiety and separation anxiety.

Here at Acuwellness, I adopt an integrated approach to the practice, combining traditional Chinese medicine techniques with other styles like massage, meditation, moxibustion and cupping. If you’d like to find out more, get in touch with me today.