As I write this blog, I am experiencing feelings of stress and anxiety, but what can I say? I am an acupuncturist in New York City, one of the top 10 most stressful cities to live in. According to the Department of Health, more than 1 out of 5 people in NYC suffer from a mental health disorder. Anxiety is the most common mental health concern and is generally defined as feelings of uneasiness or fear relating to future events both real or imagined. People with anxiety when imagining these scenarios often think of the worse possible outcomes. These thoughts consume a person and manifest in a variety of ways:
- heart palpitations
- shortness of breath
- chest pain
- sweating
- dizziness
- muscle tension
- headaches
- pain
- lack of appetite
- nausea
- insomnia
I will discuss how acupuncture and lifestyle recommendations can benefit anxiety. Acupuncture treatments for anxiety have been discussed approximately 2000 years ago and I as a Midtown Manhattan acupuncturist have seen clinical efficacy regarding this condition.
What original text states regarding relieving anxiety with acupuncture:
In the Nei Jing (first book on acupuncture), certain signs and symptoms have been documented and assigned to a specific channel. The authors of this text have found that when a group of symptoms is expressing strongly in a person, the effectiveness of acupuncture treatment is greatly enhanced when treating the channel that these symptoms belong to. These indications tell us where to look and how to treat a person experiencing anxiety. For example, it mentions that when illness is present in the stomach channel, “there is a strong tendency to dislike people, fire, and wanting to sit inside with the windows covered and the doors locked.” This may indicate a certain type of social anxiety where being in the presence of other people is too overwhelming hence the desire to sit alone in darkness. In addition it points to the presence of an internal heat condition that is harassing the person, which is why they dislike heat or fire. Further along in the passage it states “when the illness is severe a person may climb to high places, strip their clothes off, and run around.” These symptoms describe a manic condition, which at this point has become an extreme heat condition. This expression of anxiety would involve treating the stomach channel. Different channels have other expressions of anxiety. Another example occurs in the coronary vessel and heart channel. Palpitations and feelings of uneasiness in the chest are the key symptom indicators. In the kidney channel it mentions an unnatural paranoia as if you will be arrested or apprehended. Understanding the channel symptom indicators is the first step in the treatment of anxiety.
Acupuncture works by promoting circulation. As this occurs, endorphins and serotonin are released and increases dopamine sensitivity causing the nervous system, mind and body to relax.
Lifestyle Considerations
Get 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep
This may be difficult in New York given that we are overstimulated, but it is a necessary lifestyle factors to address in the treatment of anxiety. In fact, the most important areas to address first would be sleep and diet. Ideally it is best to sleep before 11 pm. A person should get approximately eight hours of uninterrupted sleep. Often times those with anxiety wake early morning and have difficulty falling back to sleep because they are worried and cannot get their minds to quiet down. Acupuncture and herbs can dramatically improve sleep quality, which will help with anxiety symptoms overall.
Eat at Regular Times
Diet is very important and would need to be recommended based on a person’s constitution. If a person eats irregularly or has a lack of appetite, this would need to be regulated as well. Everyone especially those with anxiety should be eating at regular times. Drops in blood sugar can worsen anxiety symptoms, so it is best to eat regularly and avoid refined sugar, which may cause spikes in blood sugar levels. The channel system begins in the digestive tract and is nourished by food. If a person does not eat or digest properly, they will not have the necessary resources to heal. Both problems with digestion and diet will need to be treated.
Avoid Alcohol
Alcohol should be avoided entirely because it effects liver function in Chinese medicine. The liver is responsible for maintaining the circulation of the channels by keeping them open. Alcohol impairs this function. Yes it feels good because alcohol does open the channel system, but it hinders your liver from performing this necessary function. When the liver does not open the channels, a person may experience irritability, anger and frustration.
Exercise Regularly
Adding exercise can reduce anxiety symptoms as well. I personally recommend yoga, but anything that increases the heart rate and promotes circulation will help. The only times I will not recommend exercise or to reduce exercise is if a person feels worse after exercising, i.e. they feel more tired and drained. Secondly, people who experience palpitations as a main symptom, might feel more anxious during exercise as the heart rate increases. In these cases we would need to strengthen their system and build their energy before implementing an exercise routine.
Historical Considerations
The main hallmark of Chinese medicine is the treatment of the individual, not the treatment of illness. Every patient has a unique history that needs to be considered. Some patients have anxiety as a result of trauma either physical or mental. Unresolved trauma can reside in tissue plane obstructions and sometimes as we address these obstructions, there may be emotional releases. This is very helpful for people who have a lot of pent up emotions but are unable to effectively access or release them. As we work this way, the emotions that rise to the surface are witnessed, that in and of itself is a powerful form of healing and can help a person immensely. At CSCM in Midtown Manhattan, our acupuncturist uses techniques to treat dysfunctional tissue planes, which will promote emotional healing.
Treating anxiety is not solely about eliminating symptoms. It is about looking at the whole picture and seeing how our system, lifestyle, and history weave together to form an individuals’ experience of life. As we work this way, we can transform that individuals experience of life through acupuncture and lifestyle modifications.
