Acupuncture for Anxiety
By Dr. Lauren Favreau
DAC, LAC, DIPL. AC (NCCAOM)
It’s the diagnosis of a nation.
Anxiety eclipses depression as the most common mental health concern in the US, affecting 40 million adults. Given the current state of affairs, this number is without a doubt higher, affecting everyone in their own ways.
Even before these strange and uncertain times, anxiety has been on the rise.
The American Psychiatric Association ran a poll on 1,000 U.S. residents in 2017, and found that two thirds were “extremely or somewhat anxious about health and safety for themselves and their families and more than a third are more anxious overall than last year.” In 2018, poll was repeated and Anxiety had spiked by another 5 percent.
These findings are on par with Google Trends publishing how searches for anxiety doubled over the past five years.
Okay, so anxiety is more common than ever.
But what is it exactly?
Anxiety is an intense, excessive, and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations that interferes with daily life.
For some people, it’s more situation-based. For others, it’s an everyday struggle. Even if anxiety is common, that does not make it a disorder, or someone who has it mentally ill (more on that controversial topic and why I wholeheartedly disagree with that language here).
Anxiety is a symptom.
When not caused by nutrient deficiencies, imbalanced blood sugar, or a pharmaceutical side-effect, anxiety is a normal reaction to abnormally stressful and traumatic situations.
“Anxiety is a normal response to abnormally stressful or traumatic situations”
Like grief and anger, anxiety is part of the human experience that should not be deemed a disorder and stigmatized. Unfortunately there is still a lot of shame people feel around acknowledging they have anxiety, let alone choosing to seek help. If you are one of those people, I am writing this for you. You are not alone, nor can you expect yourself to “be positive” all of the time. Not only is that unrealistic, the pressure of trying to keep-up that facade just makes it worse. In my personal and professional opinion, what is realistic is reframing the way we as individuals, a culture, and healthcare system look at mental health.
Think about it…
What if instead of labeling anxiety a “mental disorder” that needs to be chemically managed, we considered it a symptom that can be healed?
If we did, treating it could be reframed too, with less emphasis on numbing your feelings, and mode on holistically addressing the root culprits and circumstances causing it in the first place.
“What if instead of labeling anxiety a mental disorder that needs to be chemically managed, we considered it a symptom that can be healed?”
Thankfully, there are branches of medicine doing just that: Functional Medicine, Naturopathic Medicine, Psychoneuroimmunology, and of course, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
The Mind-Body Connection in Eastern Medicine:
For centuries, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has known how interconnected the body, mind, and emotions are: how long-suppressed and intense can emotions can become trapped in the body, later showing up as physical health issues. Likewise, when an organ system is affected, its paired emotion will surface (think: alcohol’s effect on the liver, which for some drinkers leads to anger). You can learn more about the Emotion-Organ Relationship in a blog I wrote here.
Thousands of years ago, TCM practitioners may not have used the term “anxiety,” but they established that worry damages the Spleen and Stomach—what modern medicine now calls our Gut Microbiome. Or how fear weakens the Kidneys—which we today know how our adrenal glands (which rest on top of the Kidneys) release stress hormones when we feel threatened.
It’s no coincidence. TCM has always accepted how the mind affects the body, and vice versa.
So how does Acupuncture help with anxiety?
A Personalized Approach:
When supporting those with anxiety, my approach is personalized to you and your experience of it. Just as the reasons behind anxiety are different, the way it shows up in the body can be too—so why would I (let alone more conventional avenues) treat it as if they were the same?
As an Acupuncturist, one of the ways I identify the root causes comes from asking questions during your first appointment.
When you get anxious, do you experience:⠀⠀
a racing mind, especially at night?⠀⠀
night sweats or tossing/turning?⠀
palpitations worse when you’re tired?⠀⠀
chest tightness or pain? ⠀⠀
dizziness or trouble focusing?⠀⠀
full-on panic attacks? ⠀
a sensation of having a lump in your throat?⠀
easily frightened or indecisive?
a wave-like feeling in your gut? ⠀⠀
loose stools or stomach pain?⠀⠀
sadness or shortness of breath?⠀⠀
angry or irritable easily?
vivid or disturbing nightmares?⠀
I also make sure to ask:
If there is a history of trauma (if so, only share what you are comfortable with)
What your diet is like (to rule out any potential nutrient deficiencies)
What medications you are on (to rule out if there is a side-effect taking place)
Each answer tells me something different about how anxiety is impacting your internal health.
It also signals to me which Acupuncture points to select, foods or herbs to suggest, etc.
Let’s say 10 people have anxiety—but the ways it shows up in their body, the events that have shaped its emergence, their associated symptoms and triggers can be (and often are) vastly different. As a result, there will be 10 different diagnoses and they will each receive 10 totally different treatments, all tailored to their needs.
This is one of the reasons Acupuncture is as effective as it is at alleviating anxiety: it is far from a one-size fits all approach.
By understanding your unique constitution, Acupuncture addresses the root causes behind your anxiety while treating the unique physical symptoms that arise with it.
The Science Behind It:
If you are curious about the how Acupuncture improves anxiety, check out this research:
It regulates your stress response via heart rate variability.
One of the most sensitive measures of the body’s ability to cope with stress is something called your Heart Rate Variability (HRV). Unlike heart rate which is the number of beats per minute, HRV is the time in between each beat. HRV measures how well your nervous system adapts to stress.
HRV is measured in the heart, but it originates in the Autonomic branch of your Nervous System which controls your sympathetic (fight-or-flight) and parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) responses.
When HRV is high, it means your nervous system is balanced—your body can adapt to stress in your environment. A high HRV is desirable because it means your brain can switch between being on high-alert and calm at appropriate times. This can look like being able to fall asleep easily when it’s time for bed and having the energy to focus at work during the day. With anxiety these can be hard to come by.
When HRV is low, it means one branch is dominating (usually the sympathetic) and sending stronger signals to your heart/organs than the other. It means your body is working on overdrive to maintain its daily functions, which leaves fewer resources for exercising, caregiving, or whatever your daily activities require. A low HRV is common if you have chronic anxiety because your body is stuck in survival mode, even when a trigger is not immediately present.
The good news is, Acupuncture has been shown to improve the body’s ability to cope with stress and lower anxiety by improving HRV:
“In patients with mild depression or anxiety, verum acupuncture but not sham acupuncture was associated with significant reductions from baseline in mean resting heart rate at 5 and 15 min after needle application…These results suggest that verum acupuncture modulates autonomic activity in response to alterations of internal and external environments, and thus reduces overall anxiety in patients with depression or anxiety.” (MacDonald, 2019)
It releases endorphins.
A summary of clinical findings on Acupuncture for anxiety details how:
“When the body is under stress, an area of the brain called the hypothalamus releases neurochemicals and research shows that acupuncture can calm this response. Acupuncture has also been shown to increase the release of endorphins, the body’s own ‘feel-good’ chemicals, which play an important role in the regulation of physical and emotional stress responses such as pain, heart rate, blood pressure and digestive function. All of these mechanisms have a direct effect on reducing anxiety.”
By releasing endogenous (self-made) pain-relieving opioids and feel-good endorphins, Acupuncture supports your body’s ability to restore, regulate, and heal itself in the ways it needs—drug-free.
It improves your sleep.
Quality sleep is hard to maintain when your mind can never shut off.
A literature review on Acupuncture for psychiatric conditions reported that it significantly improved sleep quality in patients with anxiety related insomnia. One of the studies cited reported that after treatment, “urine 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (a metabolite of melatonin) levels were normalized and several polysomnographic measures, as well as self-reported fatigue, sleepiness, anxiety, and level of depression, were significantly improved. Combined with the evidence of treatment efficacy in depression-related insomnia, acupuncture may have broader utility in neuropsychiatric disorders with impaired quality of sleep.”
Whether you have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or wake at the same time every night (the reason why can be found by looking at the TCM Body Clock), an Acupuncturist can help determine what imbalances are present to give you a specific treatment geared towards your symptoms.
It supports your gut health.
It is estimated that your gut bacteria produce about 95 percent of your body's serotonin, the neurotransmitter that influences both mood and gastro-intestinal activity (American Psychological Association). 95 percent!
This discovery has prompted a new area of research in what is called the Gut-Brain Connection. As novel as it seems, it confirms what Traditional Chinese Medicine has known for centuries about the mind-body connection. Gut feelings are no longer just a saying, they’re real.
Given how rich the gut is in bacteria and nerve fibers, it has been called a second brain—the enteric nervous system. The current evidence reveals that contrary to popular belief, the brain is not solely responsible for dictating the body’s activities. Instead, the gut-brain communication goes both ways:
“While doctors have always known that mental conditions such as stress and anxiety can lead to gastrointestinal issues – butterflies in your stomach for example, or stress-induced loose stools or nausea – increasingly it seems that the cause-and-effect relationship between mental state and gastrointestinal state may work in reverse, as well. An upset gut (ie. inflammation) can trigger changes in our mental state, suggesting that an upset in the balance of gastrointestinal (bacteria and) function could conversely be sending signals to your brain that cause neurological and emotional symptoms such as depression, anxiety and mood swings.” (Lanyon 2019)
Digestive complaints such as poor appetite, abdominal pain, nausea, and irregular elimination are some of the most common symptoms I see in patients that come in for anxiety. Thankfully, Acupuncture has been shown to have positive effects on these symptoms, especially for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) where a meta-analysis demonstrated Acupuncture’s effectiveness to be clinically and statistically significant.
SIGNALS OF SAFETY
In light of the many ways the scientific community can explain how Acupuncture helps anxiety, I have my own view that sums them up:
I like to think of Acupuncture as giving your body signals of safety.
By figuratively tapping into the nervous system, Acupuncture gives your mind and body the stillness to deliver the message that “I am safe, I am okay, I can re-balance now” so it can do just that. Along with mobilizing your body’s own resources, bloodflow, and neuro-endocrine signals, Acupuncture can help you reclaim a sense of calm and resilience to withstand future stress.
If you want to experience it for yourself and are someone who:
Has tried anti-anxiety medications in the past but found they didn’t work for you
Has tried anti-anxiety medications but didn’t like they way they made you feel or taking them lead to unwanted side-effects
Wants to taper-off your medication while having a natural therapy to support you during that process (Do not discontinue or adjust any medications without talking to your prescribing doctor first.)
Wants a dual physical and energetic medicine to compliment counseling sessions you attend, with the option to coordinate care with your therapist
Wants to avoid medications
Has “tried everything else”
Has been dismissed by practitioners and wants a more compassionate and holistic support system that ultimately puts you in the driver seat of reclaiming your health
Wants strategies and recommendations for anxiety that are meant to support long-term relief rather than a superficial quick-fix
I would be happy to support you.
Ready to get started?
Have questions?
Hi, I’m Lauren Favreau.
I am the Founder and Doctor of Acupuncture here at Rune in New Gloucester, Maine.
I specialize in supporting those with Chronic Pain, Emotional + Mental Wellness, and GI health.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, these are areas that not only relate to and reflect one another, but are also close to my heart. I consider myself lucky because I truly love Acupuncture and what I do. Getting to connect with others while empowering them to live with a renewed sense of relief, inner peace, and vitality are some of my greatest joys.
So if you are struggling with chronic pain, anxiety, depression, sleep issues, the residual effects of trauma, a difficult transition, etc, I am here to help you navigate and own your healing process.
SOURCES:
Amorim D; Amado J; Brito I; Fiuza SM. (2018, May). Acupuncture and Electroacupuncture for Anxiety Disorders: A Systematic Review of the Clinical Research. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29705474/
Campos, M. (2017, November 22). Harvard Health Blog, “Heart rate variability: A new way to track well-being.” Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/heart-rate-variability-new-way-track-well-2017112212789
Chao, G.-Q., & Zhang, S. (2014, February 21). Frontiers In Genetics, “Effectiveness of acupuncture to treat irritable bowel syndrome: A Meta-Analysis.” Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3930986/
Cheng-Hao, MacDonald, Chen, Yi-Hung, & Iona. (2019, January 10). Frontiers in Psychiatry, “The Effects of Acupuncture on Glutamatergic Neurotransmission in Depression, Anxiety, Schizophrenia, and Alzheimer's Disease: A Review of the Literature. Retrieved from https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00014/full
Lanyon, C. (2019, August 19). “What TCM has known for centuries: 'New' Brain-Gut Connection.” South China Morning Post. Retrieved from https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3022925/brain-gut-connection-how-tcm-has-known-centuries-what
Russel, D., et al. (n.d.). Acupuncture as a Therapeutic Treatment for Anxiety. Retrieved from https://www.evidencebasedacupuncture.org/present-research/acupuncture-anxiety/