Treatments with Integrative Acupuncture in Montpelier and Williston, VT provide reduction in anxiety. We work with each individual patient to create a custom care plan that takes into consideration underlying causes of anxiety and patients’ goals for health. Noticeable changes with acupuncture include reduction in frequency and intensity of anxiety symptoms.
What Causes Anxiety?
Increased heart rate, changes in breathing patterns, muscle tension and high blood pressure are common reactions from a change in brain chemistry that occurs with stress. The human body reacts to stress appropriately when faced with a “fight or flight” situation as adrenaline is released inside the body. This is the reaction that helps us cope in a disaster or stressful situation. Imbalance occurs when this reaction is frequent and is not due to outside factors. The body can become used to the adrenaline and corticosteroid release and become dependent on this state.
How Does Modern Medicine Treat Anxiety?
Antidepressant drugs and anti-anxiety medications are often prescribed to deal with stress and anxiety. These drugs can be crucial components to a patient’s well being and important contributors to discovering a patient’s road to health, however they also may have side effects and dependency reactions associated with them. Many people choose to integrate acupuncture with their western medical plan of pharmaceutical drugs for stress and anxiety. There are no contraindications with using acupuncture along with medications.
How Does Acupuncture Treat Anxiety?
Acupuncture treatments are very relaxing for most people, as endorphins and dopamine are naturally released from the brain during the treatment, many patients fall asleep and learn to deeply relax. Patients can use acupuncture in combination with medications and any other anxiety treatments that work for them. During our relaxing and painless treatments, we teach meditation techniques to help our patients develop their own stress reduction plan to use daily.
Chinese Medicine views stress as a contributing factor to most illness and disease. The Liver is responsible for the free flow of Qi and when we are stressed our qi will cease to flow optimally. This can lead to number of imbalances. Chinese medicine realizes the breath is intrinsically connected to our flow of qi. Often patients suffering with qi stagnation will sigh frequently, this is our body’s internal attempt to move stuck qi. Acupuncture is a vital part of reestablishing balance of qi due to stress.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD):
Symptoms of PTSD can be treated successfully with acupuncture. The US military has been using acupuncture to treat PTSD. for many years, read more here. The providers at Integrative Acupuncture have post graduate, specialty training in using acupuncture to treat PTSD.
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Non Needle Treatments
We realize some people, child or adult, have needle sensitivities and phobias and we are pleased to offer needle free treatments. Chinese medicine is more then acupuncture and patients can certainly benefit from visits with us without using acupuncture needles.
Aromatherapy
We employ pure, organic essential oils of plants and apply them onto acupuncture points for a therapeutic result.
Meditation: We create a meditation technique together for your home use and practice tools to make it easier and more effective.
Herbal Therapies
We may customize a formula of roots, barks and berries for your daily use. Our acupuncturists are amongst the few licensed providers in Vermont to be able to recommend herbal formulas. We have advanced training, beyond certifications, but Masters of Science degrees in herbal medicine and know what herbs can be used with which medications.
Craniosacral Therapy
A gentle touch to the head allows the body to relax in harmony with internal rhythms. This non-invasive therapy is deeply relaxing and can provide a long term reduction to anxiety.
