Acupuncture treatments can help maintain physical, metaphysical, and emotional balance, and many people have found that it can be effective in addressing stress-related illness. The procedure is quite painless and can be of great benefit.
In general, acupuncture relieves pain, reduces inflammation, and restores the body's natural ability to maintain its healthiness. Many studies have demonstrated that acupuncture causes multiple biological responses mediated mainly by sensory nerves. Acupuncture activates pathways that affect various systems in the body, including the brain and nervous system. In addition, there is considerable scientific evidence that chemicals released in the body during acupuncture treatments relieve pain and stimulate secretion of neurotransmitters and neurohormones related to stress and anxiety.
An acupuncturist remedies health issues by focusing on points on the body that tend to be affected most by a given illness. For example, Traditional Chinese medicine, which provides the theoretical framework for acupuncture, relates anxiety to an imbalance in the heart and kidneys and related organs. Therefore, acupuncturists use needles on points around the heart and kidneys as well as the ears and spleen to treat anxiety. By stimulating these parts of the body, an acupuncturist can promote healing in your nervous system.
When you receive an acupuncture treatment, the acupuncturist will likely tell you that it is important to enjoy the serenity you may be feeling and to focus on letting go of all the negative energy. These "non-specific" effects probably account for a lot of the healing that occurs. Although the scientific mechanisms behind these effects are not completely understood, they are thought to be bound up in your mental health processes. Therefore, it stands to reason that acupuncture can give you better control over the negative emotions and thoughts that can be major contributors to anxiety.
