Did you know that 41 million adults in the US suffer from an anxiety disorder? Many people will have feelings of anxiety, stress, or fatigue at some point in their lives. Finding ways to manage or treat these feelings can be difficult in everyday life. 

Acupuncture is a great alternative and natural medicine treatment for stress, anxiety, and fatigue. If you’re suffering from any of these feelings, acupuncture could help you to take control and lessen the physical symptoms. Here’s everything you need to know.

Symptoms of Mental Health Disorders

Many anxiety disorders have similar symptoms. For instance, social anxiety, agoraphobia, panic disorders, and generalized anxiety all have symptoms that come under the same criteria. Although there are ways of defining these disorders, if you are suffering from one, you may experience:

• Increased heart rate or palpitations
• Sweating
• Trembling
• Trouble sleeping and fatigue
• Difficulty concentrating
• A sense of panic or impending danger
• A sense of worry
• Gastrointestinal issues

Although 41 million adults experience clinical anxiety, many more suffer from milder forms of anxiety and stress that they wish they could do something about. If anxiety affects your quality of life, there is something you can do about it.

What is Non-Clinical Anxiety?

Non-clinical anxiety is a mild form of anxiety that can be triggered by situations in life. For instance, when something threatens you, you may develop natural fight or flight feelings that are similar to mild anxiety. Even occasions like weddings or the birth of a child can bring up feelings of anxiety. 

You may start to notice a pattern in how your anxiety is triggered and learn what to expect from your physical responses. However, if there is no pattern to your anxiety or your anxiety isn’t triggered by certain life events, it’s important to seek professional help.

How Acupuncture Works

Acupuncture is a functional medicine for stress and anxiety that works by promoting good blood flow. This ancient Chinese healing method concentrates on an energy force called Qi. Qi uses pathways called meridians to move throughout the body and encourage general wellness. By inserting needles at different points of the body, acupuncturists aim to restore the balance of the Qi.

Acupuncture can work for mental health, injuries, illness, infertility, poor nutrition, and more. Depending on where the needles are placed, acupuncture can stimulate pain killing chemicals, trigger the body’s natural healing response to injuries, and allow the brain to control emotions. This gives patients an overall feeling of balance and security.

Unless you have a pacemaker or a bleeding condition, like hemophilia, there are no risks to trying acupuncture. So, if you’re feeling anxious, stressed, or fatigued, you have nothing to lose.

Getting Started

Life comes with lots of pressure to perform which can enhance feelings of anxiety and stress that lead to fatigue. Anxiety acupuncture can help you have a better quality of life. Whether for adult anxiety or pediatrics, you’ll start by having an initial consultation with your acupuncturist.

This may involve questions about your medical history, including conditions and allergies. Your acupuncturist will discuss your physical symptoms with you and you can set out goals together. If you would like to, you can have your first acupuncture session within your consultation. 

This will make your initial appointment longer than any others. The needles are left in for up to twenty minutes and then carefully removed. Most sessions last around thirty minutes. Many patients find that they see improvements after the first session and acupuncture has been known to show quicker improvements than that other treatment, like psychotherapy and counseling. 

It can also help patients who wish to minimize their reliance on medication. If you already receive treatment for stress and anxiety, you can start acupuncture in addition to these treatments. Find out what works best for you and stick to it. 

Acupuncture in the Modern World

Some people avoid acupuncture because it’s an ancient medicine and thorough research is only ever done on modern medicines. However, treatments that have lasted centuries often have more to offer than modern medicine is willing to admit. Acupuncture has offered relief for physical symptoms for much longer than modern medicine.

Mental health issues seem to be increasing as time goes on. Many people were affected by COVID-19 and came out of the pandemic with increased mental health problems. Acupuncture is a fantastic way to regain what you may have lost through battles with anxiety and stress.

Find Your Acupuncturist

Acupuncture can provide a range of health benefits and at Fairbanks Family Wellness, we pride ourselves on delivering a comprehensive care package. We sincerely care about the welfare of our patients and aim to provide overall treatments that can target anything your body throws at you. Along with acupuncture, we also offer family medicine and pediatric care, musculoskeletal care, and counseling.

If you’re struggling to get feelings of anxiety, stress, or fatigue under control, take a look at all the services we offer. Our patients are always happy with the level of service and friendly atmosphere. When it comes to looking after your health, we’re second to none.

Treating Stress and Anxiety With Acupuncture

When it comes to treating stress and anxiety with acupuncture, it boils down to, you won’t know unless you try. It’s impossible to make anxiety worse with acupuncture so you have nothing to lose by giving it a go. This low-risk treatment option has provided many people with much-needed relief.

If you’d like to know more about acupuncture or schedule your first appointment, why not give us a call for more information?