Acupuncture for Stress, Anxiety & Depression
London Acupuncture Clinic
It’s the scourge of the modern world. According to the latest available figures, UK business lost 12.5 million days to stress, anxiety and depression during 2016/17. To put that into some sort of perspective, that’s the equivalent of 342 man years.
Stress, anxiety and depression are the result of the subconscious going into protection mode, but whilst the two conditions start life as a psychological response, both have a negative impact on physical and mental health if they’re left unchecked.
Acupuncture for stress, anxiety and depression is an approach which has been proven to be effective in re-setting the body’s natural energy flow and significantly reducing the physical and emotional effects of living life on a constant psychological knife-edge.
So, here, briefly, is the interesting part of the science of anxiety, which informs the way acupuncture can help: anxiety (and its near-relative, stress) is created by a part of the brain called the amygdala, which is responsible for the production of fear. When the brain perceives a threat, it sends fear production into overdrive.
The subconscious, in turn, reads this chemical change and puts us into a heightened state of alarm. This is the ‘fight or flight’ protection that we see in prey animals that are constantly alert to the threat of predators.
This is all well and good if you’re the kind of mammal that has eyes at the side of its head, but less useful for humans, who aren’t designed to exist in a constantly elevated state of alarm. It raises the heart rate, redirects oxygen and blood to the areas that need to operate well for protection – and shuts down every other non-essential function that might interfere with the ability to keep us safe.
In short, short bursts of anxiety or stress help to keep us safe, constant stress puts us at physical and emotional risk.
So how can acupuncture for stress, anxiety and depression help?
This ancient Chinese therapy is excellent for allowing both mind and body to relax, freeing themselves of the natural chemical and energy imbalances that stress and anxiety bring.
Stress, anxiety, depression and other strong emotions interrupt the flow of energy throughout the body. Acupuncture aims to address these energy blockages and establish a smooth flow of energy, alleviating not only the symptoms of stress and anxiety but the stress and anxiety itself.
By releasing endorphins – the brain’s natural pain-killing chemicals – acupuncture improves body chemistry and has a positive effect on the circulation of blood throughout the body. This oxygenates the tissues, cycling out cortisol and other waste chemicals.
The calming nature of acupuncture for stress also decreases heart rate, lowers blood pressure and relaxes the muscles.
In our hectic modern lives, demanding jobs, financial worries and health concerns have replaced the threats faced by our ancestors, but our natural response to those threats hasn’t changed. Symptoms of stress and anxiety can include:
- Feelings of constant pressure or being hassled and hurried
- Irritability and moodiness
- Stomach problems, headaches, and sometimes chest pain
- Allergic reactions, such as eczema or asthma
- Problems sleeping
- Negative attitudes to food, alcohol, smoking, or drugs
- Sadness or depression
If you’re struggling with these or other symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression, why not contact The Acupuncturists for a no-obligation, confidential chat. Our treatments are offered at our comfortable and relaxing clinic in the heart of Marylebone, London.
The convenient location means we offer flexible appointments to our patients and our expert and professional acupuncturists are fully qualified in our stress and anxiety treatments.