Anxiety can disrupt your life and has both physical and mental effects that can make working, socializing, and carrying out your day-to-day responsibilities difficult. And, although we tend to think of anxiety as a single condition, there are actually 13 subclassifications of anxiety disorder.
Regardless of the underlying cause of your anxiety or the specific type of anxiety you have, acupuncture could be beneficial in helping you overcome your symptoms. At Family Acupuncture and Wellness, our practitioners are experienced in helping patients with anxiety disorder.
Despite the fact that needles are involved, acupuncture is usually quite relaxing. The needles that our providers use are extremely thin — about the same as a human hair. The small size of the needles combined with the skill of our practitioners results in you barely feeling the insertion.
Acupuncture triggers chemical processes in your body, and the result is a feeling of relaxation. Some people report feeling euphoric following a treatment.
In some cases, anxiety disorder is related to hormone imbalances, which acupuncture can help to correct.
Another benefit of acupuncture to address anxiety is that it doesn’t have the same side effects as other treatments, like pharmaceuticals. Acupuncture won’t leave you feeling tired or foggy, and you don’t have to remember to take a pill to benefit from acupuncture.
Although acupuncture has been practiced for thousands of years, there’s not a robust body of research to support it. The good news is that the research that has been conducted largely supports the modality as a treatment for anxiety, especially generalized anxiety disorder, which is one of the most common types.
Another positive result of the research that has been done on the use of acupuncture to treat anxiety is that scientists have found very few risks or adverse outcomes as a result of acupuncture. The thousands of practitioners who have provided treatment around the world for the past few centuries agree.
Whether the relief you feel following an acupuncture treatment has to do with the relaxing nature of the treatment itself, the chemical processes triggered by the treatment, or due to some other reason entirely, the result is less anxiety.
Before your treatment, our staff will discuss your condition and medical history with you to determine the most appropriate approach. If they determine that you’re likely to benefit from acupuncture, they’ll tell you what to wear and what to expect during your session.
You’ll want to be well-hydrated during your appointment, and be sure to tell your provider if you’re uncomfortable at any point. After your treatment, you may feel tired, very relaxed, or joyous. It all depends on you, as everyone’s reaction is unique and individual to them.
If you’d like to learn more about acupuncture and find out if it might be an appropriate therapy to treat your anxiety disorder, book an appointment at Family Acupuncture and Wellness. You can easily request an appointment online, or call us at 603-566-8908 and we’ll be happy to get you scheduled.
