Acupuncture and Anxiety
One of my favorite things to help patients with is their emotional conditions. This could be stress, anxiety, depression or PTSD. It really is amazing to see how people can feel much better after a few sessions.
Chinese Medicine offers a detailed way of working with emotional imbalances. The result is a treatment plan that is tailored to suit everyone’s unique needs. It’s often not the only answer; I often like to work with counselors/therapists to help patients. Patients also must find a way to find balance in their lives, as Acupuncture alone will not “cure” them. Of course, some people might still need pharmaceutical aid.
The research for Acupuncture treatment of emotional disorders such as anxiety, PTSD and depression is encouraging. A meta analysis showed that Acupuncture can be very helpful for treating anxiety, even when compared to pharmaceutical intervention. The study size was small, and further studies are needed. My personal experience is that Acupuncture (and sometimes herbs) can work wonders for anxiety, stress and depression.
While further study is needed to reach large enough sample sizes, I believe that Acupuncture will one day be a common treatment for emotionally based conditions. The system is tailor made for addressing the root imbalances leading to anxiety, depression, etc.
Here’s one of the main articles I found regarding Acupuncture and anxiety. It is a meta-analysis of various existing studies: