Does Acupuncture Help Stress? Though Acupuncture goes back for thousands of years with its roots in ancient China, based on how it is perceived by many in the US, one might think that it is a relatively new concept.
That is because until the last few decades, and especially the last decade acupuncture and basically all alternate health treatments were widely frowned upon by the mainstream western medical culture. But that perception is rapidly changing. Today it is not uncommon to be standing around the water cooler at work and someone mentions acupuncture and one or more people speak up and tell their stories of how they have been treated using acupuncture and how it has helped them.
To learn more about Acupuncture Zen’s West Palm Beach Acupuncture, call 561-274-4447 or contact us online. Dr. Tony Willcox is waiting to help you alleviate your stress.
That is aided by the fact that more and more research is coming out which is showing that acupuncture is effective in treating things from pain to infertility.
But what about stress? Can acupuncture help to alleviate it?
According to a study conducted by Georgetown University Medical Center and published in 2011 in Experimental Biology and Medicine, “Acupuncture significantly reduces levels of a protein in rats linked to chronic stress.”
“It has long been thought that West Palm Beach acupuncture can reduce stress, but this is the first study to show molecular proof of this benefit,” says the study’s lead author, Ladan Eshkevari, Ph.D., an assistant professor at Georgetown’s School of Nursing & Health Studies, a part of GUMC.
In addition to being an acupuncturist, Eshkevari also works as a nurse. She says that she conducted the study because many of the patients she treats with acupuncture in the pain clinic reported a “better overall sense of wellbeing — and they often remarked that they felt less stress.”
The study was designed to test the effect of acupuncture on blood levels of neuropeptide Y (NPY), a peptide that is secreted by the sympathetic nervous system in rodents and humans. That system is involved in the body’s response to acute stress and results in the constriction of blood flow to many parts of the body.
According to the study report: “The study utilized four groups of rats for a 14-day experiment: a control group that was not stressed and received no acupuncture; a group that was stressed for an hour a day and did not receive acupuncture; a group that was stressed and received “sham” acupuncture near the tail; and the experimental group that was stressed and received acupuncture to the Zuslanli spot on the leg. NPY levels in the experimental group came down almost to the level of the control group, while the rats that were stressed and not treated with Zuslanli acupuncture had high levels of the protein.”
In a second experiment, Eshkevari stopped acupuncture in the experimental group but continued to stress the rats for an additional four days, and found NPY levels remained low. She says, “We were surprised to find what looks to be a protective effect against stress,”
Though more research is needed to conclusively determine the scientific effects that Acupuncture can have on Humans, this study is very promising and gives some evidence to back up the volumes of anecdotal evidence that patients report claiming that the treatments greatly reduce their stress.
This thesis goes along well with the basic premise of the acupuncture method, which through the insertion of tiny needles at specific points along the body’s natural energy flow known as “meridians,” seeks to bring the body’s the “Qi” back into proper balance. Once a better balance is achieved then it stands to reason that reduced stress would be a likely result.
There are few people living in today’s modern society who do not struggle with some sort of stress in their life. If you experience the effects of stress and you are seeking Natural stress relief, then give Doctor Tony Wilcox a call today and see how Acupuncture Zen can put you on a path to better wellness.
Call now to make an appointment at 561-274-4447 or contact us online and see how our West Palm Beach Acupuncture can help you.