Acupuncturist Questions Acupuncture

How does acupuncture lower stress?

I am a 34 year old male. I heard from my friend that acupuncture can help with stress. How does acupuncture lower stress?

28 Answers

You stop by and we can talk for the next 4 years to teach you HOW
Yes it does by affecting chemicals that regulate your mood such as serotonin. Of course, identifying the root to the stress is always important. And you want to ensure that your gut flora is in balance since 95% of your serotonin is regulated in your gut in relationship to the probiotics that exist there.
It does. But you should schedule an appointment for the details. It needs some time to explain.
In Chinese medicine there is an emotion associated with every organ, so as we treat the physical body, we are treating the emotional body, as well. Stress, anxiety, and depression are some of my favorite things to treat because acupuncture works so well.
Science has yet to explain how acupuncture works, so I can't legitimately answer the how does it work question. We do know that studies on rats have demonstrated it causes the release of anti-stress hormones. And almost all my patients, once they get over the fears of sharp needles (which is usually right after they experience the first one), generally experience a deep, relaxed state during treatment.
After taking a full patient intake on your daily habits, system functioning etc, practitioners set up a protocol specific to your signs and symptoms to target stress at the source. After the needle insertion, you are able to rest and enter a deeper mode of relaxation, allowing the brain to settle down and enhance the healing process.
There are many points on the body that calms the mind, body and spirit. Acupuncture is wonderful to lower stress.

Yours in Health,

Angie
Very good
I cannot explain it in detail, but based on different points that acupuncture uses, our bodies respond by releasing different substances. Some of them do lower stress.
Electronic acupuncture blocks the chronic, stress-induced elevations of the HPA axis hormones and the sympathetic NPY pathway.. Our growing body of evidence points to acupuncture’s protective effect against the stress response.

Researchers have discovered that stress hormones were lower in rats that had received electronic acupuncture. Results were published in the Journal of Endocrinology.

Researchers discovered that the electronic acupuncture blocks the chronic, stress-induced elevations of the HPA axis hormones and the sympathetic NPY pathway.


Stress activates the Sympathetic Nervous System while acupuncture activates the opposing Parasympathetic Nervous System of the body which begins relaxation. It may reverse stress induced changes in biochemistry and behavior. Acupuncture blocks stress-induced elevations of sympathetic NPY pathway & HPA axis hormones by inserting fine painless needles at specific meridians of body. It affects actual changes in the brain to reduce stress and make long lasting changes. Acupuncture help to stimulate the body’s Nervous System and release neurochemical messenger molecules. This stimulation brings some biochemical changes that influence the homeostatic mechanisms of the body and promotes emotional & physical well being.

Acupuncture decreases stress by releasing endorphins i.e. natural pain killer chemicals in the brain. This therapy improves blood circulation throughout the body and boosts the amount of oxygen in tissues. Some people experience a feeling of relaxation immediately after the insertion of the first needle. Most people describe their acupuncture experience as incredibly effective. Just a slight pinch of needle and they felt a sense of calm energy flow in the body. Some patients feel immediate stress reduction after a single session.
Acupuncture lowers stress via several physiological pathways. Research studies show acupuncture stimulates the central nervous system and helps to release natural body chemicals. These body chemicals activate a person's opioid system, cellular signaling and stimulate the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. The limbic system then can moderate the pathways of pain and stress, lowering the heightened sympathetic nervous system's responses we call "stress."
By gently adjusting the hormone balance and charge within the body.
Hi,

Acupuncture helps to calm the mind and emotions to help you relax, and to release tension and tightness from your body by helping the blood and energy circulation to help with stress. We also check your internal organ functions that could cause stress and help the organ functions as well. Please consult your local acupuncturist.

Sincerely,

Scott Sang In Lee
Acupuncture is not going to help lower stress in someone's life. It cannot change the work or the life environment. Better choices will have to be made to improve the life's conditions. Now, acupuncture is know to increase blood flow throughout the body and it relaxes the muscle structure at the same time. In those terms, it will reduce physiological stress. It is true that if someone is more relax, the view of the world might change and he or she will cope better with life.

Alexandre Hillairet, DAOM.
Acupuncture can shift the autonomic nervous system from sympathetic activation to parasympathetic restoration which induces relaxation.
Yes acupuncture can treat stress with herbs, it works well you better try.
Good afternoon,

Acupuncture does help with stress by balancing body function and energy and lets you sleep better at night.

David
Thank you for your question.

Your question is a very good one, and not one that can be answered easily. There are many possibilities and the question has inspired entire careers to find the answers. There is also the conflict between how Traditional Chinese Medicine explains itself and how a Westernized system would explain the effects.

The simplest answer I provide patients, is that for 15-20 minutes, you are relaxed in a quite place and being cared for. This alone will support the mind and body's "rest and digest" nervous system and all the positive effects that comes from resting. This is a Western perspective. Again, a Western perspective - It is possible the needles in certain points activate the brain directly as shown in brain imaging studies and changes resting heart rate as well as variability (a strong maker of health). How these things happen, we cannot say in the Western paradigm.

From a Traditional Chinese perspective, over 1000s of years the associations of the points and associated effects became understood and created this system. It is a complicated and nuanced system that has no Western equivalent. It is an endeavor worth trying with an experienced acupuncturist given the very high benefit and extremely low-risk profile.

Kind regards,

B
Balancing your Qi.

Be well, be confident, we can help.
Amazing, it definitely does! It moves stagnation from the liver to alleviate stress.
At the physical level, acupuncture works to change your body from a sympathetic nervous state, to a parasympathetic nervous state. So you will typically leave your treatment feeling immediate relief. On the energetic level, we support your body and can give you guidance to better handle stress in the future.
Hi! Acupuncture treatments release endorphins and calm the sympathetic stress response.
Hello! Acupuncture helps with stressed by promoting the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) to rest and digest. Neurotransmitters called Serotonin and Endorphin are released during an acupuncture session. They played a role in decreasing stressed and promote positive emotions.
Because acupuncture treatment can make you feel more relaxing.
Many ways it can help. For instance during the session you will go into a parasympathetic healing state which allows you to calm your mind
Acupuncture works in a variety of ways depending on the system and technique. The short answer to your question is that acupuncture can help regulate hormonal fluctuations, regulate the heart and breathing, reduce nervous anxiety through regulating the blood flow and other such physiological issues.

Along with acupuncture the practitioner may also suggest cupping or guasha to help relax the physical muscles and may suggest herbal formulas or dietary or lifestyle ideas particular to your case. They will most likely talk to you about where your stresses manifest - both where do you feel it in your body as well as what aspects of your social/work/family life elicit stress responses.

The acupuncture can also help you sleep better, digest your food better and give you a sense of separation from your stressful surroundings when you work with a qualified L.Ac. who has experience with stress. It's more than just the needles, but an understanding of how to manage your way through your life.

Good luck
Yes. It is the same way to treat anxiety and depression.
The answer to your question is complicated and requires some understanding of the human nervous system. Generally speaking the human nervous system is broken down in to the Central Nervous System (CNS) which includes the brain and spinal cord and the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) which is basically everything else.

Inside the PNS, there exists the autonomic nervous system which consists of three parts, two of which are important here: the sympathetic system and the parasympathetic system. The sympathetic system is more commonly referred to as the 'fight or flight' portion of the nervous system. Its main neurotransmitter is epinephrine/adrenalin and it functions to amp the body up in order to run away or fight something off.

The parasympathetic nervous system is more commonly referred to as the 'rest and digest' portion. It functions to help put the body in a restful state which facilitates digestion, assimilation and other activities.

These two systems: sympathetic and parasympathetic act in opposition, and we're not designed to spend a whole lot of time in the sympathetic mode. Unfortunately the stresses involved with the modern lifestyle often leave us trapped on the sympathetic side.

Acupuncture has been shown to promote the parasympathetic system. This is the primary way in which it relieves stress.