No need to suffer alone...
How acupuncture may help
If you, or someone you know has been struggling with anxiety, there may be help at hand. Irrespective of the underlying cause of anxiety, traditional Chinese acupuncture may be able to help more than you think. The reason for the anxiety may or may not be clear at first but feelings of fear and worry can become unrelenting, causing a level of anxiety which can then start disturbing sleep and affecting your daily life. Physical symptoms of anxiety may include increased heart rate, shortness of breath, headaches, insomnia, panic attacks, digestive disorders and muscle pain, to name a few.
Anxiety UK list the psychological symptoms of anxiety as follows:
Thinking that you may lose control and/or go “mad”
Thinking that you might die
Thinking that you may have a heart attack/be sick/faint/have a brain tumour
Feeling that people are looking at you and observing your anxiety
Feeling as though things are speeding up/slowing down
Feeling detached from your environment and the people in it
Feeling like wanting to run away/escape from the situation
Feeling on edge and alert to everything around you
Recent evidence has shown that regular acupuncture treatments have a great effect on reducing anxiety and depression when compared to conventional psychotherapy and pharmacological approaches, with more than two times the reduction in symptoms.
How does it work?
Acupuncture has been shown not only to calm the response of the hypothalamus (part of the brain), which releases neuro-chemicals when the body is under stress, but also to increase the levels of endorphins which regulate the body's emotional and physical stress responses, positively affecting heart rate, blood pressure and also perceived levels of pain. The calming and relaxing effect of acupuncture is often commented on by people trying acupuncture for the first time. They regularly seem surprised by how relaxed they feel during and after their treatment.
Over the years acupuncture has evolved into many forms - Alison trained full time over three years, incorporating Western medicine anatomy, physiology and pathology - it was hard work but it paid off. She was awarded a first class Bachelor of Science (Hons) degree, which incorporated five elements style acupuncture, traditional Chinese Medicine acupuncture and classical Stems and Branches Acupuncture.
Alison ensures that each treatment is tailored to you and your individual needs, taking account of your medical history and presenting symptoms. She will be more than happy to discuss whether acupuncture can help you in any way and offer free 15 minute consultations to enable you to ask any questions you may have, if you're unsure of anything.
Perhaps you or someone you know may benefit from trying a natural, traditional, tried and tested treatment approach in relieving the debilitating symptoms which can be caused by anxiety.
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Additional information:
The British Acupuncture Council states -
Research has shown that acupuncture treatment may specifically benefit anxiety disorders and symptoms of anxiety by:
Acting on areas of the brain known to reduce sensitivity to pain and stress, as well as promoting relaxation and deactivating the 'analytical' brain, which is responsible for anxiety and worry.
Regulating levels of neurotransmitters (or their modulators) and hormones such as serotonin, noradrenaline, dopamine, GABA, neuropeptide Y and ACTH; hence altering the brain's mood chemistry to help to combat negative affective states.
Stimulating production of endogenous opioids that affect the autonomic nervous system. Stress activates the sympathetic nervous system, while acupuncture can activate the opposing parasympathetic nervous system, which initiates the relaxation response.
Reversing pathological changes in levels of inflammatory cytokines that are associated with anxiety.
Reversing stress-induced changes in behaviour and biochemistry.
Acupuncture can be safely combined with conventional treatments such as medication or psycho-educational therapy, possibly enhancing their beneficial effects and reducing unwanted side-effects.
More information can be found in these links:
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