Acupuncture is a holistic medicine treatment that started in China 5,000 years ago. Traditional Chinese medicine treats the whole person, and seeks to treat the relative mental, emotional, spiritual and physical components of anxiety. Acupuncturists view anxiety as an imbalance of energy within your body. They use very fine acupuncture needles to help bring your energy back into balance. Acupuncture can be an effective, holistic approach for relieving anxiety, although there is insufficient evidence to back up these claims.
Mind-Body Medicine
When treating anxiety, acupuncturists treat the whole person. When you experience anxiety, which is a mental or emotional condition, your acupuncturist will seek to find any associated physical symptoms such as heart palpitations or a sensation of a knot in your stomach. Acupuncture treatments are based on treating your mental, emotional and physical symptoms.
These symptoms can result from weak or "stuck" energy in your body. Your acupuncturist will place acupuncture needles at specific points on your body to help re-balance your energy, strengthening it where it is weak and moving it where it is "stuck." The resulting effect from acupuncture treatment is a feeling of relaxation, calm and an overall sense of well-being.
Ear Acupuncture
Ear acupuncture, also called auricular acupuncture, may be an effective treatment for anxiety. Auricular acupuncture is a microsystem—the ear has many points reflecting different areas of your body. According to the World Health Organization, auricular acupuncture is the most widely documented, developed and practical microsystems of acupuncture used.
Research conducted by Yale University studied the effects of auricular acupuncture on acute anxiety. They found that stimulation of specific auricular acupuncture points helped reduce behavioral anxiety levels, giving them relief for a minimum of 30 minutes, for up to 48 hours.
Neurotransmitters
Acupuncture may help your brain release specific neurotransmitters that relieve anxiety. According to Oxford Journals, acupuncture may cause the release of serotonin and GABA. Serotonin has inhibitory effects and helps regulate your emotions and mood. GABA, also an inhibitory neurotransmitter, helps reduce excitatory neurotransmitters in your brain that lead to feelings of anxiety.
