Can Acupuncture Help Reduce Anxiety?

As a sufferer of anxiety and panic attacks I have tried almost every form of therapy exclusive of psychotropic drugs to help eliminate my panic attacks. If you suffer from panic disorder then we are both members of a group numbering in the millions, who have faced this health demon and are determined to find a solution.

Recently, I tried acupuncture after a panic attack left me feeling out of control while driving to my wife's place of business, on a Los Angeles freeway. Luckily for me she offices in a wellness complex and a wonderful practitioner of Chinese medicine and acupuncture offered to helped me, literally on the spot.

Chinese medicine practitioners believe that stress, anxiety, depression or any strong emotion interrupts the smooth flow of energy throughout the body.

According to Chinese medical theory, anxiety blocks the free flow of energy through our body. This is thought to be a cause of muscle pain in areas such as the back and neck where energy is being blocked. Other areas negatively impacted by blocked energy may include digestion, blood pressure and your ability to get a good night's sleep.

Acupuncture is believed to help restore or redirect the free flow of energy, restoring a healthy balance.

But, Can Acupuncture Help Reduce Anxiety?

Research in the field of acupuncture has determined that there are points in your ear associated with anxiety. Treating the ear with acupuncture to eliminate anxiety is known as auricular acupuncture

To determine the efficacy of this type of acupuncture to help reduce anxiety, two researchers from Yale University School of Medicine - Drs. Wang and Kain - assembled a group of patients for a trial.

They found that people who received acupuncture did have reduced anxiety, which may help patients anxious about an upcoming surgery.

Practitioners of Western medicine also believe that acupuncture can eliminate anxiety by releasing your body's natural pain killers or endorphins.

Acupuncture can also help relax muscles without prescriptive medication, improve blood circulation, lower your heart rate and blood pressure

My Empirical Experience with Auricular Acupuncture

At my very first acupuncture appointment the acupuncturist placed needles in specific points on the ear, which remained for a week, reducing anxiety almost completely. This auricular acupuncture was followed up with total body acupuncture treatments and after three sessions I found that even the slightest anxiety triggers which had troubled me before had disappeared.

Chinese Herbs as a Complement to Acupuncture Therapy

The acupuncturist, was also a practitioner of Chinese medicine and gave me a combination of herbal combinations after a few weeks of treatments to help my body regain a natural, healthy physiological balance. If you try this approach, your practitioner of Chinese medicine may be able to recommend some herbs for you based upon your specific case.

In conclusion my experiences with acupuncture therapy to reduce anxiety have been extraordinarily successful and I continue to enjoy the cumulative effects of additional acupuncture treatments to this day.

If you suffer from panic or anxiety attacks then you may want to explore the natural healing capabilities of these ancient but very powerful therapies to help you end your attacks once and for all.