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9 April 2015

ACUPUNCTURE IN CONJUCTION WITH THERAPY

Today I thought of writing about the benefits of acupuncture in conjunction with therapy. as most of you know this is something i strongly recommend for my aptients especially those who are suffering from depression and anxiety. My belief in acupuncture started in my fellowship at Yale when all the staff participated in an acupuncture session every tuesday morning for stress managment.

The Stress Center at Yale began offering acupuncture primarily to treat chronic pain, but also to treat such conditions as anxiety, depression, fatigue, insomnia, and migraines, as well as nausea induced by chemotherapy. The list goes on.

In general, acupuncture is believed to stimulate the nervous system and cause the release of neurochemical messenger molecules. The resulting biochemical changes influence the body’s homeostatic mechanisms, thus promoting physical and emotional well-being.

Research has shown that acupuncture treatment may specifically benefit anxiety disorders and symptoms of anxiety by:

  • Acting on areas of the brain known to reduce sensitivity to pain and stress, as well as promoting relaxation and deactivating the ‘analytical’ brain, which is responsible for anxiety and worry (Hui 2010).
  • Regulating levels of neurotransmitters (or their modulators) and hormones such as serotonin, noradrenaline, dopamine, GABA, neuropeptide Y and ACTH; hence altering the brain’s mood chemistry to help to combat negative affective states (Lee 2009; Samuels 2008; Zhou 2008; Yuan 2007).
  • Stimulating production of endogenous opioids that affect the autonomic nervous system  (Arranz 2007). Stress activates the sympathetic nervous system, while acupuncture can activate the opposing parasympathetic nervous system, which initiates the relaxation response.
  • Reversing pathological changes in levels of inflammatory cytokines that are associated with anxiety (Arranz 2007)
  • Reversing stress-induced changes in behaviour and biochemistry (Kim 2009).

n investigation was made to determine the effect of acupuncture on neurotransmitters commonly implicated in anxiety and depression – focusing on serotonin and norepinephrine. Electroacupuncture enhances the effect of the acupuncture needles by adding a current. Using electroacupuncture on specific acupuncture points, the study found that it accelerates the synthesis and release of serotonin and norepinephrine on the central nervous system. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter released by neurons in the central nervous system and is believed to play an important role in the regulation of mood and sleep. Abnormal levels of serotonin have been thought to play a part in many disorders, notably as part of the biochemistry of depression, migraine, bipolar disorder, and anxiety. Norepinephrine is also a stress hormone and along with epinephrine affects the fight or flight response affecting the sympathetic system. This confirmed findings in an earlier study which found that needling specific acupuncture points affected change in the amounts of particular neurotransmitters found in a subject’s blood and urine. Acupuncture mimics the mechanism used by various anti-anxiety and anti-depressive drugs by increasing amounts of serotonin and norepinephrine available to postsynaptic cells in the brain thereby decreasing anxiety symptoms.

Acupuncture remains an effective treatment for those suffering from anxiety, without the side effects seen with various drugs. With it’s effect on decreasing anxiety, acupuncture can help secondarily with the treatment of psychosomatic disorders. Research shows that there is a positive response of anxiety to acupuncture and that it should be considered a treatment for those suffering from this debilitating disorder.

– See more at: http://vitalitymagazine.com/article/tcm-acupuncture-for-anxiety-and-mood-disorders/#sthash.cyqL9b9Y.dpuf

The human body has developed an ingenious way to deal with the stresses that we encounter. With stress, the body is programmed to turn on the necessary systems and shut off secondary ones.  The body’s “fight or flight” mechanism (also known as the sympathetic system) turns on when stress is presented. Blood and energy is diverted to the systems that are required to fight or flee – such as the muscles of the body, the heart, and the cardiovascular systems. There are increases to the heart rate, energy is released from fat, and muscles become ready for quick action. In addition, secondary systems such as the digestive and reproductive are shut off because they are determined not to be necessary in this stressful situation.

In today’s fast paced world, stressors can become constant in our lives. The problem with stress is that it can cause the sympathetic system to be constantly functioning. Blood pressure remains high, there is a heightened sense of nervousness, and these symptoms can manifest into the anxiety disorders that are prevalent in our society today. In addition, psychosomatic disorders such as gastrointestinal ulcers and headaches can be due to this phenomenon.

Research has shown that when an animal is placed into a situation in which it cannot achieve an adaptive reflex, an abnormal biological reaction takes place involving visceral-endocrine functioning. These maladaptations may lead to the development of psychopathology, i.e. anxiety/phobias or physical illness (headaches, hypertension). 

Acupuncture remains an effective, natural, and safe treatment for people suffering from anxiety conditions because it is able to calm the sympathetic system by allowing the body to release neurotransmitters that can control a person’s stress level.

Acupuncture was developed about 2500 years ago and is centered around the development of Chinese society and Traditional Chinese Medicine which states that there are pathways or meridians in the body where energy or chi travels. Any disease, pain, or dysfunction is due to a blockage in these meridians. In the case of anxiety, when emotions are held over long periods of time, or when they result from a traumatic event, they can become the cause of illness. This will block the flow of chi. Fine needles are placed into specific acupoints which remove the blockage and allow the energy to flow again. With proper energy flow, the person’s health returns.

Since ancient times, acupuncture has been known as an effective treatment for stress and its disorders. There have been numerous references to the effects of the emotions on the body and psychosomatic illness, a relatively new concept in the West, but one that was recognized and written about 200 years B.C.  Based on these references, acupuncture was found to be the treatment of choice.

– See more at: http://vitalitymagazine.com/article/tcm-acupuncture-for-anxiety-and-mood-disorders/#sthash.cyqL9b9Y.dpuf

The human body has developed an ingenious way to deal with the stresses that we encounter. With stress, the body is programmed to turn on the necessary systems and shut off secondary ones.  The body’s “fight or flight” mechanism (also known as the sympathetic system) turns on when stress is presented. Blood and energy is diverted to the systems that are required to fight or flee – such as the muscles of the body, the heart, and the cardiovascular systems. There are increases to the heart rate, energy is released from fat, and muscles become ready for quick action. In addition, secondary systems such as the digestive and reproductive are shut off because they are determined not to be necessary in this stressful situation.

In today’s fast paced world, stressors can become constant in our lives. The problem with stress is that it can cause the sympathetic system to be constantly functioning. Blood pressure remains high, there is a heightened sense of nervousness, and these symptoms can manifest into the anxiety disorders that are prevalent in our society today. In addition, psychosomatic disorders such as gastrointestinal ulcers and headaches can be due to this phenomenon.

Research has shown that when an animal is placed into a situation in which it cannot achieve an adaptive reflex, an abnormal biological reaction takes place involving visceral-endocrine functioning. These maladaptations may lead to the development of psychopathology, i.e. anxiety/phobias or physical illness (headaches, hypertension). 

Acupuncture remains an effective, natural, and safe treatment for people suffering from anxiety conditions because it is able to calm the sympathetic system by allowing the body to release neurotransmitters that can control a person’s stress level.

Acupuncture was developed about 2500 years ago and is centered around the development of Chinese society and Traditional Chinese Medicine which states that there are pathways or meridians in the body where energy or chi travels. Any disease, pain, or dysfunction is due to a blockage in these meridians. In the case of anxiety, when emotions are held over long periods of time, or when they result from a traumatic event, they can become the cause of illness. This will block the flow of chi. Fine needles are placed into specific acupoints which remove the blockage and allow the energy to flow again. With proper energy flow, the person’s health returns.

Since ancient times, acupuncture has been known as an effective treatment for stress and its disorders. There have been numerous references to the effects of the emotions on the body and psychosomatic illness, a relatively new concept in the West, but one that was recognized and written about 200 years B.C.  Based on these references, acupuncture was found to be the treatment of choice.

– See more at: http://vitalitymagazine.com/article/tcm-acupuncture-for-anxiety-and-mood-disorders/#sthash.cyqL9b9Y.dpuf

The human body has developed an ingenious way to deal with the stresses that we encounter. With stress, the body is programmed to turn on the necessary systems and shut off secondary ones.  The body’s “fight or flight” mechanism (also known as the sympathetic system) turns on when stress is presented. Blood and energy is diverted to the systems that are required to fight or flee – such as the muscles of the body, the heart, and the cardiovascular systems. There are increases to the heart rate, energy is released from fat, and muscles become ready for quick action. In addition, secondary systems such as the digestive and reproductive are shut off because they are determined not to be necessary in this stressful situation.

In today’s fast paced world, stressors can become constant in our lives. The problem with stress is that it can cause the sympathetic system to be constantly functioning. Blood pressure remains high, there is a heightened sense of nervousness, and these symptoms can manifest into the anxiety disorders that are prevalent in our society today. In addition, psychosomatic disorders such as gastrointestinal ulcers and headaches can be due to this phenomenon.

Research has shown that when an animal is placed into a situation in which it cannot achieve an adaptive reflex, an abnormal biological reaction takes place involving visceral-endocrine functioning. These maladaptations may lead to the development of psychopathology, i.e. anxiety/phobias or physical illness (headaches, hypertension). 

Acupuncture remains an effective, natural, and safe treatment for people suffering from anxiety conditions because it is able to calm the sympathetic system by allowing the body to release neurotransmitters that can control a person’s stress level.

Acupuncture was developed about 2500 years ago and is centered around the development of Chinese society and Traditional Chinese Medicine which states that there are pathways or meridians in the body where energy or chi travels. Any disease, pain, or dysfunction is due to a blockage in these meridians. In the case of anxiety, when emotions are held over long periods of time, or when they result from a traumatic event, they can become the cause of illness. This will block the flow of chi. Fine needles are placed into specific acupoints which remove the blockage and allow the energy to flow again. With proper energy flow, the person’s health returns.

Since ancient times, acupuncture has been known as an effective treatment for stress and its disorders. There have been numerous references to the effects of the emotions on the body and psychosomatic illness, a relatively new concept in the West, but one that was recognized and written about 200 years B.C.  Based on these references, acupuncture was found to be the treatment of choice.

– See more at: http://vitalitymagazine.com/article/tcm-acupuncture-for-anxiety-and-mood-disorders/#sthash.cyqL9b9Y.dpuf

he increased stresses of the world, whether personal, occupational, or societal, can have a detrimental effect on one’s health. When one is not able to deal with stress, anxiety can develop and the symptoms of anxiety can overwhelm them. Acupuncture remains an effective treatment for anxiety. Research has shown acupuncture’s effectiveness and offers explanations on how this natural therapy – See more at: http://vitalitymagazine.com/article/tcm-acupuncture-for-anxiety-and-mood-disorders/#sthash.cyqL9b9Y.dpuf
The modalities of psychotherapy and acupuncture have proven to be successful in the treatment of depression (Birch & Hammerschlag, 1996; Copeland, 2001; Flaws & Lake, 2001; Hollon, Stewart, & Strunk, 2006; Mark, Barber, & Crits-Christopher, 2003; Rogers, 1995; Ross, 1995; Yapko, 1997). Both treatment techniques address the emotional and behavioral patterns beneath the symptoms of depression (Copeland, 2001; Flaws & Lake, 2001; O’Connor, 1997). Both modalities are concerned with the inner state of the suffering of the individual and the root cause of the symptoms. Traditionally, the Western psychological technique of psychotherapy has addressed the root cause of the suffering of an individual through exploring the mind and the psyche. Chinese medicine’s acupuncture technique addresses the root cause of suffering through the body. The combination of acupuncture and psychotherapy provides a treatment for depression that is balanced in exploring the mind and the body; the whole of the individual’s condition is addressed.
The synthesis of acupuncture and psychotherapy takes into account the complex relationship of the body and the mind. The synthesis of acupuncture and psychotherapy recognizes and explores the connection of somatic and psychological events. Events that occur within the body may result in mental and emotional symptoms; psychological
events may have an effect on the body’s physiology. The human condition includes the whole of the body and the mind.
I have seen significant differences in patients who have combined psychotherapy with acupuncture as cbt really helps with our thought processes (mind) and the acupuncture seems to help with the physical symptoms.
 Dr Sandra Darmanin Psy.D; MA;B.Psy (Hons.) ACPA