Anxiety and depression are the new age epidemic that are spreading widely. With over 40 million people in the US suffering from anxiety and its symptoms, around 17.8 million have been reported with depression alone. In such a scenario, the world relies on anti-depressants and anxiety-relief medications which in some cases, have proved harmful.
If you’re questioning yourself, “is acupuncture effective and what is acupuncture used for”, then the answer is it can relive you effectively from anxiety issues.
Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese therapy that can cure your anxiety issues. Are you scared and unsure of the procedure? Don’t be! Read ahead and find out all about acupuncture benefits for anxiety and other related aspects.
Acupuncture as a technique involves the penetration of finely pointed and thin needles on various acupoints present within our skin. These acupoints channelize the energy within and cure the ailment or disorder. The needles induced inside stimulate power across several connected pathways.
China has an ancient history using acupuncture as a way of treatment. When we talk about acupuncture, the first thing you need to consider is choosing a well-trained practitioner of the respective procedure.
[Also Read: How to Get Rid of Anxiety Using Natural Remedies]
Acupuncture points for anxiety or acupuncture for stress(1) relief are present at several places across the body. Some of the effective and efficient acupoints are –
A well trained or professional practitioner will cover all safety aspects. In Acupuncture, pressure is applied to the needles to insert them at the acupoint surface. These delicate and hair-like needles cause no pain to you if entered appropriately. Heat, friction, suction, pressure, and electromagnetic energy impulses are the other factors that make the technique of acupuncture for anxiety relief work efficiently.
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People suffer from various anxiety-related disorders but what is it that differentiates an anxiety disorder from usual anxiety? How can we identify that a person has an anxiety disorder or he is suffering from normal situational anxiety? The simplest way to find the root cause of stress. This helps in formulating the number of sessions needed. The symptoms as per which the individual approaches the disorder are understood to find out what kind of anxiety the person is suffering with.
If in doubt, it is advisable to consult psychologists and psychiatrists for the same. Stressors are one of the major causes that enhance the possibility of an anxiety disorder(3) in an individual. The anxiety disorders are generalized according to the intensity of such emotional responses.
It is seen that people usually start showing signs of improvement in the first session of the acupuncture treatment for anxiety relief. Some people manage to set their lives on the right pathway and unpredictably show better results. They develop their keenness to explore more of their internal states and cope with themselves in a practical way.
The benefits are:
It is okay to be nervous on your first visit to the acupuncturist as the needles used are evidently intriguing. When you have an idea as for what happens in an acupuncture session for treating anxiety, your mind gets a little prepared, and this, in turn, helps to enhance the benefits of your acupuncture session.
The first visit can always take more time as compared to your follow-ups as the practitioner investigates and understands your problems to figure out the root cause of anxiety. Your practitioner will also inquire about your medical history, present medications, allergies, and other health-related questions before the treatment begins.
When the session begins, the acupuncturist will insert thin, long sterilized needles on various pressure points chosen as per their analysis. This insertion is almost painless, and you will not feel them getting into your skin mostly. They may also twist or electrocute them as per your case and then leave them as it is for approximately 20 minutes.
Depending on different scenarios, it takes around 30-45 minutes for an acupuncture session for anxiety relief to complete.
While using the technique of acupuncture for curing anxiety, one should take care of the following things before going for the procedure –
Acupuncture for anxiety plays a vital role in taking out all the stress and nervousness out of the mind and consciousness. If performed safely and at regular periods of the treatment, then it could result to be the smoothest way to reach the cure for the most common disorder of today – Anxiety.
One can also gently rub the valid points at home to get instant relaxation from the irritating problems related to stress. To remove the discomfort caused due to anxiety, one must get out of his comfort zone to deal with the treatment of anxiety.