Stress, anxiety & depression

These conditions can be chronic and debilitating and acupuncture offers a safe and natural alternative to drug treatment. It has few side effects and can be used alongside any medical treatments.

It is thought that acupuncture can help:

  • stimulating the nervous system and causes the release of neurochemical messenger molecules and regulates the neurotransmitters such as serotonin, noradrenaline, dopamine, GABA, neuropeptide Y and ACTH (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).

Acupuncture can also help with associated symptoms of insomnia, PMS and Irritable Bowel Syndrome amongst others.

See details of research into acupuncture, stress, anxiety and depression.