Can acupuncture help with stress and anxiety?

Over the past few months, I have received a lot of calls and emails from new patients wondering if acupuncture can help with stress and anxiety. Given the current state of our world, it’s not surprising. COVID-19 continues to have a huge impact on people’s lives. I feel very fortunate to be able to work with these patients and help them start feeling better and find ways to manage their stress and anxiety.

 

An increase in stressors

People are scared for their loved ones and their own safety and well-being. They’re worried about how to take care of their families. And they’re worried about how their kids are coping with these unprecedented times. The way people work has changed dramatically, and some people are re-evaluating their career choices. Then there are the teachers and parents who continue to deal with the stress of remote learning and concerns about having a safe classroom. People want to connect with their families and loved ones but are scared to travel. They feel isolated and alone. These are just a few of the things I hear from patients wanting help managing their stress and anxiety.

 

Making the best treatment choice for you

Sometimes people feel so much stress and anxiety that they don’t feel comfortable leaving their house. Others have challenges wearing a mask. I offer Telemedicine in addition to in-office treatments to address these concerns. Follow this link for more details about Telemedicine options. Through Telemedicine, I can prescribe acupressure points and teach people how to do acupressure on themselves, walk them through how to apply ear seeds, and teach qigong exercises, for example.

 

For patients who want to come into the office for their treatment, I share all of the COVID-19 safety protocols I have in place in the office. Masks are required for everyone. Screening questionnaires are performed and temperatures are checked at every appointment. Appointments are spaced to allow the treatment room to be cleaned thoroughly between patients, with linens changed and surfaces cleaned with an EPA-approved botanical disinfectant. A medical-grade filtration H13 true HEPA system runs continuously in the treatment room.

 

It’s important that people feel comfortable and safe when they come to see me. Someone who is experiencing stress and anxiety does not need another thing to feel stressed and anxious about! I take the time to address any concerns and answer any questions they might have.

 

Stress and anxiety from an acupuncture and Chinese medicine perspective

Every person is unique, and no two people will experience stress and anxiety for the same reason in the exact same way. Each of the primary energetic pathways and acupuncture channels in the body is associated with an organ system and has associated emotions and physical sensations. A disruption to any of these energetic systems can result in stress and anxiety.

 

Possible underlying causes

To start, someone who feels anxious and feels heart palpitations or discomfort in their chest may be someone who has too much nervous energy around their heart. They may need support for their Heart energetic pathways. Someone who has trouble with obsessive thinking or rumination often needs their Spleen energy supported. This person may have trouble sleeping at night because they feel like they can’t turn their thoughts off.

 

Another person may be feeling scared and shaky which is creating stress and anxiety. They might also feel cold, and their low back might even be sore. In this case, it’s likely that their Kidney energy needs support. In other cases, people may be feeling like they have to hold their emotions in and are getting headaches and migraines. Some people may even feel dizzy and experience vertigo. In this instance, supporting the Liver energy can be helpful. Others may feel overwhelmed with grief and the stress of losing a loved one. Here, supporting the Lung energy can make a world of difference.

 

Balancing energy is key

I work on balancing energy most often with acupuncture needles. I love to combine this kind of treatment with ear seeds. Ear seeds are great because they are something tangible that people can take home with them to continue the treatment. It also gives people comfort to have something to do if they feel anxious. By gently giving the ear seeds a squeeze, the body gets a subtle message to relax. I also have Stress and Anxiety-specific ear seed kits for people who want to apply their own treatments at home, and I am happy to customize them as needed.

 

What can you do at home?

In my practice, I tailor treatments to each individual patient. If this kind of treatment is not available to you, there are still things you can do at home that may help. Here are some ideas:

• Learn how you can heal yourself with the relaxation response.
• Take a break from the news and social media.
• Get out in nature or just gaze out your window at the trees or birds if it’s too cold to go outside.
• Watch relaxing nature videos like BBC Planet Earth.
• Find a meditation app that looks interesting and try meditating. My favorite is Insight Timer.
• Listen to a guided visualization. I love listening to anything by Belleruth Naparstek.  Watch a talk she gave on stress reduction. She also has many recordings available for purchase on Amazon.
• Give acupressure a try.
• Practice healthy sleeping habits.

 

Reward yourself!

And now for the “dessert”. This is the metaphorical cherry on top to reward yourself for just being you.  Here it is:

Do one thing EVERY day that brings you joy.

If you can do this, you will at least have that time that is stress and anxiety free. The thing you choose needs to be something that brings you great delight and a smile to your face. What’s important is that it is meaningful to you. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. It doesn’t have to be anything big or something that takes a lot of time. Here are some ideas to give you food for thought: snuggle with your pet, drink a delicious cup of hot tea, giggle with a friend, move to music in your kitchen, sing your favorite song as loudly as you can, walk outside and crunch through crisp winter leaves on the ground, or take a soothing essential-oil scented bubble bath. Involve the senses – sight, smell, sound, taste, and touch. What would FEEL good to you and bring you JOY?

 

Want to talk about how acupuncture and Chinese medicine can help your stress and anxiety? I’d love to hear from you. Reach out and email me through our website or call or text 910-622-4269.