While significant changes may be seen within 2-3 treatments recommending at least 6 visits helps manage expectations. Sometimes acupuncture is that magic bullet, but sometimes it’s not and committing to regular treatment, making time to care for yourself, is what you have to do to achieve lasting results.
Full Answer
How many acupuncture sessions will it take to reduce stress?
To really get a handle on stress in your life, you’ll start with an initial series of acupuncture sessions, usually about 5 sessions over 2 weeks. Treatment plans are then customized for each individual.
Does acupuncture for anxiety work?
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. How Many Sessions are Needed to Treat Anxiety Through Acupuncture?
Can acupuncture help with mental/emotional health?
While Traditional Chinese Medicine has its unique framework for explaining them, here we will discuss acupuncture and mental/emotional health from a physiological perspective. The key seems to be that acupuncture acts like physical therapy for the nervous system.
Is acupuncture effective?
Most large studies show that acupuncture isn't an effective treatment for any type of health issue, and yet with millions of people swearing to the success of acupuncture, more studies are needed. It's possible that acupuncture is effective, and equally possible that it is not.
How long does it take for acupuncture to help anxiety?
Participants received ten 30-minute sessions of acupuncture over the course of 12 weeks. They experienced a significant reduction in their anxiety, even 10 weeks after treatment.
How often should you get acupuncture for stress?
“To achieve your best health preventatively with acupuncture, we emphasize the importance of creating a healing habit and routine — and we recommend a minimum of one acupressure session per month to ideally one acupuncture session per week, with reality often falling somewhere in between,” says Auth.
Does acupuncture help with stress and anxiety?
"Acupuncture stimulates the body's natural feel-good hormones and reduces the level of stress hormones like cortisol," says Mathew Kulas, MA, RAc, an acupuncturist at Henry Ford Health. Studies show that acupuncture is an effective treatment for anxiety, with fewer side effects than medications.
How many session of acupuncture will I need?
A common treatment plan for a single complaint would typically involve one or two treatments a week. The number of treatments will depend on the condition being treated and its severity. In general, it's common to receive 6 to 8 treatments.
Is acupuncture once a week enough?
It's recommended that clients should start by having 1-2 acupuncture sessions per week, for 2-4 weeks. However, clients with chronic conditions may require more frequent treatment. Whilst 1-2 sessions per week is a good baseline, it's important to assess your client's condition before beginning treatment.
How long do the effects of acupuncture last?
In summary, the amount of time the effects of acupuncture last largely depends on the individual's age, symptoms, and treatments they are receiving. This means that the effects can last for either a few days to a couple of weeks.
Can anxiety get worse after acupuncture?
Intensified Symptoms: acupuncture can cause symptoms to become more intense after a session. Due to this intensity of some of the reactions, sometimes people feel unsure about continuing treatment, but the effects are beneficial, and they are a necessary part of the process (New Leaf Medicine, n.d.).
How does acupuncture manage stress?
It works to ease stress by releasing endorphins, which are natural pain-killing chemicals in the brain. Additionally, acupuncture improves the circulation of blood throughout the body, which oxygenates the tissues and cycles out cortisol and other unwanted chemicals.
Where do they put acupuncture needles for anxiety?
Some of the most effective acupuncture points for treating anxiety are:Between the eyebrows.Centreline of your head.Just below the shoulders blades, along the spine.Three fingers down from the crease of your wrist.
How far apart should acupuncture treatments be?
Consistency is Key. To get started, acupuncturists tend to recommend that patients come in once or even twice a week if a patient is able. A good rule of thumb is: if acupuncture is going to be able to “move the needle” on your experience of a condition, you should feel some effects within the first 6 treatments.
How long after acupuncture do you see results?
Acupuncture has a short term effect. The period of time you will feel its therapeutic benefits is around 3-4 days. If you are having it only and your problem isn't chronic, you can have it once a week.
How often should you have acupuncture for depression?
They range from once a week to six days a week. No studies have compared how often treatments are given to discover what's likely to produce the best response in people with depression. Very frequent treatments may be difficult because of the time and money required.
What is the best alternative treatment for anxiety?
These treatments are used to help treat anxiety without the long term expenses of therapy or potential side effects of prescribed medication. One of the most popular and well known alternative treatments is acupuncture.
What does it mean when anxiety becomes overwhelming?
When anxiety starts to become overwhelming it may be a sign that you have moderate to severe anxiety. With this free 7 minute anxiety test, you can receive: Take the anxiety test today to gain better insight into your anxiety and its symptoms.
Is acupuncture a treatment?
Acupuncture is designed to be an immediate treatment. While not every acupuncture session provides complete and full relief right away, as soon as you leave the acupuncturist (and in some cases the next morning), much of your anxiety should be diminished.
Does acupuncture work?
It's possible that acupuncture will provide you with the relief you need; however, it's important to keep an open mind to other treatments especially those which are evidenced-based. If acupuncture doesn't appear to be working for you, move on to something else.
Is acupuncture safe for wounds?
It should also be noted that acupuncture is not an entirely safe treatment strategy. Although it is often marketed as safe and natural, there are risks involved with this type of treatment, including: Risk of Infection - Any time a needle penetrates the skin, there is a chance that bacteria can enter the wound.
Is acupuncture effective?
Most large studies show that acupuncture isn't an effective treatment for any type of health issue, and yet with millions of people swearing to the success of acupuncture, more studies are needed. It's possible that acupuncture is effective, and equally possible that it is not.
Is anxiety a mental health condition?
Finally, while anxiety is a specific mental health condition, it doesn't always come as a standalone issue. Often you have other issues in your life that can cause you some anxiety or contribute to the severity of your anxiety symptoms. Acupuncture should help with those as well.
How many patients were randomized to acupuncture?
In a small double-blind sham-controlled study, 36 mildly depressed or anxious patients were randomized to either an acupuncture protocol traditionally used by Chinese medical practitioners to treat anxiety or to a sham acupuncture protocol (i.e. acupuncture points believed to have no beneficial effects). All patients received three treatments.
What are the side effects of acupuncture?
Few mild adverse effects. Uncommon transient adverse effects associated with acupuncture include bruising, fatigue, and nausea. Very rare cases of pneumothorax (i.e. a potentially life-threatening condition caused when an acupuncture needle results in the collapse of a lung) have been reported. References.
How does acupuncture affect the body?
Animal and human studies suggest that the beneficial effects of acupuncture on health, including mental and emotional functioning, are related to different mechanisms of action, including changes in neurotransmitters involved in emotional regulation such as serotonin, modulation of the autonomic nervous system, and changes in immune function.
Does acupuncture help with anxiety?
Research findings support acupuncture as a treatment of anxiety. Acupuncture and acupressure are widely used to treat anxiety in both Asia and Western countries. Extensive case reports from the Chinese medical literature suggest that different acupuncture protocols reduce the severity of generalized anxiety and panic attacks ( Lake & Flaws 2001 ).
When can I expect to see results with acupuncture?
It is fairly impossible to predict how quickly any one person's body will respone to acupuncture, but in my experience in treating thousands of patients I can offer the following insights. The greater majority of patients start feeling results after 1 to 3 treatments.
The 3 Stages of Acupuncture Care (the healing process)
The first thing to take into account, when learning about your acupuncture healing process is getting to know the 3 Stages of Acupuncture Care.
So how many acupuncture treatments am I going to need?
The number of treatments at each stage or the length of time spent at each stage depends on a number of factors.
How I approach the acupuncture healing process
I am interested in getting you better as quickly as possible so that you can cut back on the frequency of your acupuncture treatments. I want you to get so much better that you can discountinue acupuncture treatment as quickly as possible. Any treatment plan I make for you is my suggestion.
What Is Anxiety?
Everyone has moments of anxiety throughout their life – it's a normal reaction to feelings of stress. Some anxiety can actually be beneficial in some situations, as it activates a fight or flight instinct and helps you prepare and pay sharper attention to what's around you.
Types of Anxiety
There's no single cause that determines if someone will develop an anxiety disorder. Scientists believe it's a combination of both genetics and environmental triggers. There are many types of anxiety disorders, such as:
Understanding Acupuncture
Acupuncture has become increasingly popular over the past 40 years, becoming one of most common alternative medicine approaches in the United States. A survey published in the journal Psychosomatics found that nearly one-third of people with anxiety disorders use alternative therapies such as acupuncture along with massage or relaxation techniques.
Effectiveness of Acupuncture for Anxiety
A growing body of evidence shows the benefits of acupuncture to overall health. Acupuncture is used to treat a myriad of health problems, including:
Mounting Evidence
There's evidence from multiple studies that acupuncture helps certain symptoms of anxiety. Researchers are still exploring the effect of acupuncture on specific types of anxiety disorders.
What to Know About Anxiety Medications
The U.S. News Health team delivers accurate information about health, nutrition and fitness, as well as in-depth medical condition guides. All of our stories rely on multiple, independent sources and experts in the field, such as medical doctors and licensed nutritionists.
How does Chinese medicine help with stress?
Chinese medicine, as well as many traditional medical systems that see the mind and body as inextricably interconnected, see thoughts and emotions as the primary drivers of physical health issues.
What is the most common issue with acupuncture?
Stress , along with anxiety and depression, is one of the most common issues that patients come in for at our Washington DC acupuncture clinic. Their chronic stress manifests as a wide range of emotional, physical, cognitive and behavioral symptoms.
How long does it take to get acupuncture?
To really get a handle on stress in your life, you’ll start with an initial series of acupuncture sessions, usually about 5 sessions over 2 weeks. Treatment plans are then customized for each individual. In many cases, a series of treatments over 3 months is the optimal starting point.
How does herbal medicine help the nervous system?
Herbal medicine is an additional powerful method for balancing the nervous system, as well as providing “adaptogenic” effects which help cushion against stressful time periods. In a consultation, our herbalists will discuss your current mental and physical symptoms, and create custom herbal formulas specific to your situation. Over time, herbs can play a strong role in keeping us balanced, focused, and energized, and protected from the inevitable fluctuations of stress.
What happens when stress becomes chronic?
When stress becomes chronic, our digestive, respiratory, cardiovascular, reproductive, and hormonal systems, as well as our brain, start to take a beating. This kind of chronic stress starts to lead to the extensive list of stress-related symptoms mentioned above. Not so great.
Is acupuncture a physical therapy?
In our experience, this is also true. Acupuncture is like a physical therapy for the nervous system. With sufficient numbers of treatments and points per session, acupuncture helps the nervous system adapt and re-educate itself to operate in a more optimal way.
Is stress a health problem?
A little stress every now and then is part of life and not something to be concerned about. Ongoing, chronic stress, however, can cause or exacerbate many serious health problems, including: Mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, and personality disorders. Cardiovascular disease, including heart disease, high blood pressure, ...