For those who receive acupuncture in hopes of stress relief, you are in luck. Based on a study by Georgetown University Medical Center we know that acupuncture relieves stress – but why?
The Science Behind How Acupuncture Relieves Stress
The body secretes hormones into the bloodstream as a reaction to stress. What this study did was specifically measure “blood hormones levels secreted by the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland and the adrenal gland – together these are known as the hypothalamus pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis. They also measured a peptide involved in creatures’ ‘fight or flight’ responses, called NPY.” After a 10-day study where rats were split into four groups, each group with their own variable, researchers found that acupuncture relieves stress. Acupuncture “blocks the chronic, stress-induced elevations of the HPA axis hormones and the sympathetic NPY pathway.” Long story short, acupuncture relieves stress by helping your blood hormone levels remain consistent and steady during stressful situations.
Acupuncture for Stress Relief and Beyond!
Whether or not you’ve received acupuncture before, you may know that it involves the gentle insertion of hair-thin needles at specific points along your body’s energy channels. This helps move the energy to prevent or resolve stuck energy that may manifest as pain, illness or disease. Acupuncture’s goal is to restore smooth and harmonious energy flow, which often causes symptoms to resolve themselves, and patients frequently experience deep personal transformation.
Acupuncture helps restore harmony at the deepest level of the body, mind, and spirit. Therefore, many physical and mental conditions can be lessened or completely resolved through acupuncture:
- Acupuncture for back pain
- Acupuncture for joint pain
- Persistent headaches and migraines
- Post-operative pain and discomfort
- Fatigue, depression, anxiety and insomnia
- Stress, including PTSD
- Digestive issues, such as IBS or heartburn
- Menstrual pain, fertility disorders and menopause discomfort
This is certainly not the full list and acupuncture can be an effective treatment for many other ailments. Not sure if acupuncture is right for you? Please, contact us for a free consultation and we’ll be happy to give our professional opinion.
source: Acupuncture Relieves Stress: New Understanding Of Why The Ancient Practice Eases Anxiety
