How To Get The Most Out Of Acupuncture For Your Anxiety
by Dillon Patterson Article PublisherWith coronavirus cases continuing to
make headlines, children and adults cohabitating 24/7 and the upcoming
presidential election, a growing number of people are understandably anxious.
While there are many ways to manage stress and anxiety, people are increasingly
turning to acupuncture to calm frayed nerves.
"Acupuncture stimulates the
body's natural feel-good hormones and reduces the level of stress hormones like
cortisol," says Dr. Teresa Zhang, R. Ac, M.D (China), Ph.D.. Studies show
that acupuncture is an effective treatment for anxiety, with fewer side effects
than medications. Perhaps the best news: You don't have to rely on weekly
in-person sessions to get the benefits.
Homemade Acupuncture Strategies For
Managing Anxiety
Acupuncture relies on stimulating
specific points in the body, most often with needles, to improve health and
well-being.
So how do you maintain those
feel-good results in between sessions? "There are a number of things
people can do at home to extend the benefits they achieve immediately after an
acupuncture session," Kulas says. Here are six of his favourites:
Pay attention to your diet: Diet plays a key role in
maintaining the effects of acupuncture. Instead of leaving your session and
noshing on pizza and beer, fuel up on a plant-based meal and drink plenty of
water. Consider making an appointment with a plant-based nutritionist to help
you learn how to incorporate more antioxidant- and nutrient-rich plants into
your diet.
Try ear seeds: An acupuncturist applies these small
seeds to stimulate the pressure points in your ear and promote healthy energy
flow in the body. Acupuncturists often use seeds when treating panic attacks or
nicotine addiction. They can be helpful for issues like weight loss and pain
management, too.
Get moving: Movement is therapy.
Techniques like yoga, tai chi and qigong can help you maintain balance in your
body. You can find relevant videos on YouTube to walk you through a stress-reducing
practice. It only takes a few minutes to stretch your whole body between tasks
with a set of sun salutations or a simple child's pose. Or just lift your
shoulders to your ears, hold, and release with a deep exhale.
Breathe deeply: While many breathing
exercises might help you relax, Kulas suggests keeping it simple. Try a
four-breath cycle per minute to slow your breathing and reset your nervous
system: Inhale for seven seconds, pause, then exhale for seven seconds.
Self-massage: Self-massage can help
alleviate mild to moderate pain in muscle and connective tissue. Acupressure is
a form of massage that targets specific acupuncture points with pressure along
with deep breathing. Self-acupressure can also treat psycho-emotional,
gastrointestinal and neuropathic ailments. Ask your acupuncturist for
customized acupressure point combinations for your specific health concerns.
Maintain social connections: The pandemic has
dramatically affected our ability to stay connected with friends and family.
While you may need to maintain a safe physical distance between yourself and
others, that doesn't mean your social connections need to take a hit. Do what
you can to create feelings of connection with those living inside your own
home. Try family yoga time, acupressure on each other or cooking a delicious
plant-based meal.
Achieving Calm
Remaining calm right now may feel
like a Herculean task. The key is to try to maintain some normalcy within the
chaos.
"Often with anxiety, thoughts
can become chaotic and there's a certain level of fear about the future," Dr.
Teresa says. "Sometimes just knowing you're doing something productive —
whether getting an acupuncture treatment, exercising or practicing self-massage
— can help reduce worries about things that fall outside of your control."
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Created on May 30th 2022 11:37. Viewed 211 times.