When you have anxiety, it can feel like it affects every part of your life. Overwhelming feelings of worry can make it difficult to complete your daily tasks and maintain relationships with others. The good news is that the right treatments can make a significant difference.
People with anxiety should talk to their doctor about treatment. Anxiety is often treated with a combination of psychotherapy and medication; however, there are also ways to alleviate symptoms with an alternative treatment like acupuncture that should be considered as well.
3 ways that you can reduce anxiety symptoms with acupuncture
Acupuncture is a holistic practice that involves inserting thin needles into specific areas of the body. The goal is to help manage and reduce pain by stimulating the central nervous system to engage the body’s natural healing abilities.
Acupuncture can help reduce your anxiety in a variety of ways, including:
- Reduced muscle pain — Anxiety is centered on your worried thoughts and feelings. However, it can often manifest through physical symptoms, such as muscle pain. Acupuncture can help reduce pain that’s caused by muscles tensing up when you’re anxious, such as your neck, shoulder and back muscles. It works by increasing blood flow to the affected areas.
- Stress relief — Anxiety and stress tend to go hand in hand, as anxiety is your mind and body’s reaction to a stressful situation or circumstance. Acupuncture can provide stress relief by releasing endorphins, which lead to positive emotions. Endorphins also help block signals to the brain that cause anxious thoughts and feelings.
- Balanced hormones — When your hormones are not in balance, it can affect your mood regulation. Acupuncture can help balance levels of hormones like serotonin and cortisol to reduce anxiety symptoms. Serotonin is known as the “feel-good” chemical that brings positive emotions. People with anxiety tend to have low serotonin levels. However, they also tend to have high levels of cortisol, which is a stress hormone.
REPAIR SI can help you alleviate your anxiety through acupuncture
While talking to a therapist and taking the right medication can help you manage your anxiety on a day-to-day basis, acupuncture is an alternative way to improve both your mental and physical health. It’s worth noting that acupuncture shouldn’t be your only anxiety treatment, but a complementary option alongside medication and therapy.
At REPAIR SI, we understand how anxiety can impact your overall quality of life. With treatments like acupuncture, we can help you work toward the best version of yourself.
Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.