Dr. Mimi Le on stress, anxiety & acupuncture
Acupuncture has been used for many ailments for hundreds of years and is still popular today in modern society. It must have some positive effects on the human body for this ancient medicine to still be in practice today right? In fact, the practice of acupuncture started about 4,000 years ago (also known as the Stone Age period) in China, but historians believe that cavemen were the first people to use acupuncture. There have been many artifacts found related to acupuncture use like stone knives and other sharp-edged tools. Interestingly enough, a well preserved mummy of an iceman was found by the name of Otzi had markings of acupuncture use and medicinal herbs found during his autopsy by scientists that matches to Chinese Medicine we know today. But what benefits can acupuncture have on modern society today?
As I had mentioned earlier, acupuncture and herbs can be used for many types of ailments but the most popular use today is stress and anxiety. In the ancient past, the only stress people had back then was to find shelter, food and survive the ruthless forces of nature; nowadays we stress about everything including traffic to societal pressures and expectations which causes our bodies (and mind) to go into overdrive, which stimulates our sympathetic nervous system a little too often.
The sympathetic nervous system is important when you are trying to run away from a man-eating tiger to keep you alive. The sympathetic nervous system can accelerate your heart rate, decrease motility of the large intestine, raise blood pressure, rapid breathing and increase functions of the lungs, etc. But imagine triggering your sympathetic nervous system daily and constantly; your body would feel fatigued, tired, anxious, mentally drained and maybe even paranoid. Eventually the long-term stress on the nervous system will cause bodily damage such as hypertension, forms of chronic anxiety, depression, migraines, racing thoughts, inability to focus, insomnia and digestion dysfunction. Everyone reacts to chronic stress differently and some would even turn to western medicine for prescription drugs which could possibly cause other issues in the future. But what if there is a natural alternative to taking drugs that can help you cope with anxiety and stress in your life?
There are many natural remedies to help cope with anxiety and stress such as yoga, exercise, homeopathic supplements but Chinese medicine is designed and used differently for each person to adjust to their particular needs, definitely not a one size fits all approach.
There have been numerous studies on the benefits of acupuncture on general anxiety disorders. According to one study done in 2015, it concluded that acupuncture improved symptoms in people with anxiety that didn't respond to other treatments including psychotherapy and medication. The participants received ten 30 minute sessions of acupuncture during the course of 12 weeks which had resulted in a noticeable reduction in their anxiety levels. Imagine the possibilities of incorporating psychotherapy, herbal medicine and acupuncture to help reduce stress and anxiety for a short period of time. I would imagine the results could have an immensely positive effect on a person mentally and physically. Of course more studies need to be performed to know the full extent of Chinese Medicine's effect on stress and anxiety.
After learning more about acupuncture and its effects on stress and anxiety, one might ask how it affects the body specifically? Stress for long periods of time releases certain hormones such as cortisol, adrenaline and norepinephrine which can cause harm to the body. Acupuncture and Chinese herbs help to reverse the effects of stress by triggering the release of positive hormones like serotonin, endorphins and has an anti-inflammatory effect on the body while promoting proper blood circulation.
Retriggering the body's response does take time to take effect, just like how long it took for stress to impact a person mentally and physically. I recommend at least 2-3 acupuncture sessions to notice a difference so please be patient and treat yourself! You deserve some time for self care and reflection.
- Dr. Mimi Le