Studies show that acupuncture is an effective treatment for anxiety, with fewer side effects than medications. Perhaps the best news: You don't have to rely on weekly in-person sessions to get the benefits. Related Topic: What's The Difference Between Worry And Anxiety?
How soon you see results from acupuncture will depend on your anxiety symptoms and their causes. Short-term anxiety, like what you may experience before medical procedures, can respond immediately to acupuncture treatment. Other forms of anxiety may take several sessions before you notice results.
We generally recommend acupuncture visits one to two times a week for anxiety issues and the duration of treatment depends on how chronic the anxiety is, lifestyle factors, and whether you can reduce exposure to stressors that may be contributing to your stress and anxiety.
After an acupuncture session, you may feel a sense of growing tranquility and peace. This peaceful sensation may continue the rest of the day or week, leading to deep, restful sleep. Allow yourself to rest—your body will recover better when you spend more time in a deep sleep state.
Studies show that acupuncture is an effective treatment for anxiety, with fewer side effects than medications. Perhaps the best news: You don't have to rely on weekly in-person sessions to get the benefits. Related Topic: What's The Difference Between Worry And Anxiety?
But the needles don't just go in random spots across your body. They need to be inserted into acupoints—very specific locations based on your physical or mental symptoms. Points for anxiety may include your breastbone, ears, between your eyebrows, or the insides of your wrists.
It does, however, take the edge off. Acupuncture evens out our moods so that we are less affected by and better equipped to manage the stressful aspects of our lives. The stress won't disappear, but if you find yourself feeling less bogged down by it, acupuncture is working for you.
Acupuncture can benefit individuals living with high levels of stress and anxiety disorders. The stress-relieving elements of acupuncture help to also improve emotional regulation, overall mood, and boost overall feelings of wellbeing.
Drawing on previous research, the study's authors suggest that acupuncture might help regulate glutamate receptors, helping the body respond more effectively to neurotransmitters. This could offer benefits for depression and other mental health conditions such as schizophrenia and anxiety.
Some short-term effects may indicate that the acupuncture sessions are working. One sign is you notice slight improvements in your symptoms. Curiously, the other is a worsening of symptoms. “It's actually not a bad sign if you feel worse after acupuncture,” Sheinberg says.
While being poked by needles may not be what you had in mind when you think about improving your sleep, studies show that acupuncture can decrease anxiety, stimulate melatonin production, induce sleep and reduce sleep disruption.
So basically, you will feel better relatively quickly after your first acupuncture session, but getting total relief from your main issue can take some time. This is why your acupuncturist will recommend a course of treatment (just like a course of antibiotics).
While not a replacement for standard depression treatments, some studies suggest that acupuncture can help people with the mood disorder feel better.
In acupuncture, when the needles are inserted, the body releases a cascade of chemicals. These include serotonin and dopamine which help us to feel calm and reach a state of balance or peace.
Avoid Strenuous Exercise
You may feel a boost of energy after your acupuncture treatment – this is one of its many benefits. However, be careful not to partake in strenuous activities after your treatment. If you perform intense exercises or heavy lifting, you may undo some of the benefits of treatment.
With Acupuncture treatment the mind, body, spirit and emotions have been viewed as a seamless whole – disharmony in one affects the other – there is no separation. Because of this connection, treating areas of the body affected by trauma, acupuncture can release and heal the emotional pain held in the body.
Findings show that oysters, cashews, liver, beef, and egg yolks have been linked to lowered anxiety. Also, a study published in August 2015 the journal Psychiatry Research found a link between probiotic foods and a lowering of social anxiety. Probiotic foods include pickles, sauerkraut, and kefir.