Managing Anxiety With Acupuncture

Although we live in sunny and beautiful Tampa Bay and St. Petersburg, Florida, we still experience high levels of stress. Being under a constant state of stress for long periods of time can be directly related to disorders and certain health conditions. More often many of our patients share with us feelings of anxiety, concern and feelings of depression.

More than 40 million U.S. adults have symptoms of anxiety, which refers to excessive worrying that’s hard to control and often impacts daily life.

Physical symptoms that can be associated with anxiety

Anxiety and depression can manifest into physical symptoms without one even realizing it. When we are under constant stress, the body changes in order to adapt. Here are just a few ways I see anxiety manifest in our patients.

Change in eating habits (eating more or less than usual)
Chronic pain
Difficulty concentrating
Fatigue
Feelings of fear, nervousness, panic, restlessness or tension
Headaches and Migraines
Gastrointestinal issues
Inability to control worry
Increased heart rate
Sweating
Insomnia
Hormonal changes

What are the benefits of Acupuncture?

Even though it has been around for 3000 years, acupuncture is becoming a popular treatment to manage anxiety. There is scientific evidence that acupuncture helps with certain symptoms of anxiety.

There have been several studies done about the effects of acupuncture on anxiety. Studies have found that acupuncture improved symptoms in people with anxiety that didn’t respond to other treatments, including psychotherapy and medication. Participants received ten 30-minute sessions of acupuncture over the course of 12 weeks. They experienced a significant reduction in their anxiety 10 weeks after treatment.