A new piece of research has concluded that acupuncture is beneficial for anxiety. In fact, the randomized controlled trial concluded that “Acupuncture is a promising intervention for patients with chronic anxiety symptoms that have proven resistant to other forms of treatment.”.
In clinic we regularly see how effectively acupuncture reduces stress hormones such as cortisol and most of our patients leave their sessions with a better sense of well-being and feel more relaxed.
When we treat anxiety we are looking for two things to happen. Firstly, that any anxiety lessens, like turning the volume button down on it gradually, until it altogether fades. Secondly, that the person feels no anxiety after an acupuncture session, and the time this lasts for, lengthens with each session. For instance after the first session, they may feel no anxiety for one night and day, after a second session, that may stretch to 2-3 days, and so on. This is because the benefits of acupuncture can build gradually, which is why a course of sessions is usually recommended. An average course for anxiety may be 6 sessions, attending once a week.
We also love to use techniques that may help between sessions, such as tiny ‘ear seeds’. These stainless steel ball-bearings that are about the size of a pen tip, are covered with a plaster, and placed on a point on the ear. You then massage the point and it can hep to reduce anxiety and promote a good night’s sleep.
Here is what previous patients have said about their acupuncture treatment:
I work in a high pressure environment and had been suffering for some time with work related stress and anxiety – I just couldn’t ’switch off’ and relax – and it was really wearing me down.
Caitlin had been recommended by a work colleague and it had got to the point where I felt I had to do something about the problems I was facing.
In the initial consultation, it felt great to get the problems on the table and after my first session I felt the benefits almost immediately. Although I wouldn’t say I was sceptical, I didn’t expect to feel so different, so quickly. It was a real result.
After just a few weeks treatment, I can safely say I felt like a different person. I was finding it much easier to chill out and not bring work anxieties home with me. I also found it much easier to deal with the day to day pressure and overall, I felt more ‘balanced’ as a person.
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For the past ten years or so I have experienced infrequent panic attacks, perhaps a couple of times a year when I was away from home or in confined spaces. However, one never did follow another and so as a consequence they were easy to forget and recover from. The situation changed when I was about three months pregnant. I started to experience frequent panic attacks at home and in public places and to be honest I thought I was losing my mind. I spoke to my GP but she was unable to help or prescribe any medication as I was pregnant. I felt desperate until I spoke to Caitlin.
Her calm, professional and expert approach immediately made me feel as though I could get back to ‘normal’ . She said she was fairly confident acupuncture may make a difference. This was a lifeline to me and within five or six sessions my panic attacks ceased and my anxiety levels decreased significantly. I am grateful that I did not compromise my pregnancy by taking any prescribed medication. The acupuncture was pain free, relaxing and most importantly it worked.
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I came across Caitlin after I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety by my GP. I was prescribed anti-depressants and while I was relieved to find out I wasn’t actually going mad as I had suspected, and that there was a genuine reason for the way I’d been feeling for over 12 months, I was adamant that there must be an alternative solution rather than taking prescribed medication.
On my first visit to Caitlin I didn’t know what to expect. Caitlin immediately put me at ease and spoke to me about how I’d been feeling along with my health and lifestyle in general. To this day I still don’t know how I didn’t just break down into tears; it took every ounce of courage to keep my composure in order to explain exactly how I felt.
I didn’t know what to expect after the first session but felt I knew I’d found someone who could really help and make a difference to my life. Since then I’ve had weekly sessions and I can honestly say I have to credit Caitlin with making me feel like ‘me’ again, something I thought would never happen. I don’t wake up every morning dreading what the day will bring nor do I wake up and wish that I hadn’t, which I think had to be the worst thing about how I had been feeling. I don’t feel like I’m living in a fog and I can rationalise my feelings far better than I ever thought possible.I have an awful lot to thank Caitlin for, I often feel like the sessions I’ve had have been part counselling and therapy and part acupuncture, just talking to Caitlin made me feel better, she understood and didn’t judge me.
For anyone thinking of acupuncture I can highly recommend it, Caitlin really has given me back my life.
If you are feeling anxious, please do give us a call to see how acupuncture may be able to help.