Anxiety and depression are two of the most common mood disorders, affecting millions of people around the world. Anxiety can go hand in hand with depression. Acupuncture can help you by addressing these concerns and all of the symptoms associated, such as:
• stress
• headaches
• migraines
• insomnia
• low energy
• muscular discomfort
• general aches and pain
All of these symptoms can decrease your quality of life significantly but Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Acupuncture can help you by using your own internal resources without any of the side effects of pharmaceutical medication.
How Can Acupuncture Address Issues with Anxiety and Depression?
Traditional Chinese Medicine recognizes the powerful interplay between our body and our emotions; the two are, in fact, inseparable. When we become emotionally upset, our internal environment also becomes disrupted, leading to the physical symptoms of anxiety. When we are physically compromised, our emotions can be greatly affected.
TCM view emotions as an integrated aspect of organ functions, and sometimes the root causes the disease.
One TCM theory with regard to anxiety is that an anxious person can have excessive energy, also referred to as heat or energy (Qi), in the head. The flow of Qi or energy can be interrupted or blocked by an excess of emotions.
Depression, on the other hand, can be described as stagnant energy within the body. This stagnation can create imbalances that lead to symptoms of depression, such as an inability to focus, melancholy, anger, fatigue, and a lack of inspiration.
TCM practitioners link anxiety and depression to the Heart and Liver disharmony, because they command and control most of the emotions.
How Does Acupuncture Work?
Imagine your body is a river with water flowing through it. When a tree falls in the middle of the river, it creates havoc at the top and bottom of the river as well. Things like a poor diet, emotional stress, or physical trauma are the equivalent of the tree falling in the river. Acupuncture attempts to remove the tree and restore the normal flow of energy throughout your body.
Acupuncture can help you restore the flow of energy (Qi) and break down all of the blocks that may impair the free circulation of Qi through the channels that produce unbalance in your body. Acupuncture is a safe and effective natural therapy that is used to heal illness, prevent disease and improve well-being.
How is TCM Acupuncture Administered?
Tiny, hair-thin needles are inserted into specific points in the body as well as a combination of auricular acupuncture points to stimulate the nervous system. This serves to release chemicals and hormones in the muscles, spinal cord and brain increasing the body’s natural healing abilities thus promoting physical and emotional well-being.
Additionally, since practitioners of TCM regard the body and lifestyle as a single system, they consider other factors in determining a treatment plan. These factors may result in supplemental recommendations regarding a patient’s diet and environment, as well as meditation and exercise suggestions. Regardless of what treatments a TCM practitioner uses or prescribes during a session, the goal is to treat both body and mind.
How Long Will It Take to Feel Results?
Healing time depends on the patient and the severity of his or her symptoms. Some patients report relief after just one session of acupuncture. Others may feel a difference within weeks or a month’s time, while still others might take up to several months to feel back to normal.
Jacqueline Marti, Registered Acupuncturist