So, you are using acupuncture for your anxiety and stress. Many who see acupuncturists have heard about the calming benefits of acupuncture for anxiety, but they don’t realize that there are specific tips that can help support you in your efforts. Making a regular commitment to get acupuncture can help you reactivate your relaxation response. When I treat people for anxiety, I always make it a point to remind patients that adding in these tips will have a better enhanced l effect on the body. Here are 5 tips to make your anxiety treatments with acupuncture succeed better.
1. Acupuncture for anxiety- Tip #1 – Eat more protein and stop simple carbs: Unregulated blood sugar can increase anxiety and play havoc with your energy levels. Fluctuating blood sugar levels can bring on anxiety, and increased feelings of stress. Protein helps to slow the conversion of sugars in the body so if you are eating a breakfast bar for breakfast, you are essentially causing a big spike of sugar in the bold stream. Unopposed by protein, thi s spike is followed by a crash, which leads to fatigue, stress, and anxiety. Using protein at all meals and combining it with complex carbohydrates helps the body regulate you sugar levels better. Seek to include protein to help regulate you blood sugar and you will start to see better levels of calm. Adding something to your diet, is always easier than taking something away or abstaining from something. So, go ahead and increase your protein and watch anxiety get more manageable.
2. Acupuncture for anxiety- Tip #2 -Take vitamins: Your anxiety is related to brain chemistry. Under stress you need certain nutrients to make sure your body performs better and to keep your brain feeling better. Your acupuncturist may introduce you to different vitamins to help brain mood chemistry. If you are going to really make an effort, you should take the advice of your acupuncturist. Using certain vitamins can help allow you to get the transformation that you are seeking and looking for. Many times, certain vitamins can be taken in conjunction with your anxiety medications. The problem the anxiety medications is that they help plug up the receptor sites in the brain to free up serotonin in the brain. The problem is that there are no new neurotransmitters being produced, so you need to keep increasing your dosage of medications to release more of the few neurotransmitters that your body has. Creating new neurotransmitters can be made with the right vitamins combination. It is not an all or nothing situation. Many are told not to mix herbs with vitamins. While that is true, there are ways to take vitamins that will not conflict with the medications you are taken, given the correct advice.
3. Acupuncture for anxiety – Tip #3 –Try Chinese herbs: Chinese herbs can be used to boost neurotransmitters: Chinese herbs have a wonderful effect on the body and the mind with few side effects. Utilizing an herbalist who is NCCAOM certified (this is the organization that certifies Chinese herbalists). Herbalists are trained to use the correct herbs to fit your condition. Herbal formulas can be used to be made in an easy and convenient powder that can be drunk as a tea twice or three times daily. Yes, Chinese herbs taste, well, herbally. They can also be out into capsules if you cannot stand the taste. Chinese herbs can be very personalized to your condition. Further, precautions such as mixing herbs and medications are used to avoid any interactions. Finally, herbalists subscribe herbal companies that subscribe to GMP which stand for Good Manufacturing Practices. This means they checking their herbs after harvesting to avoid heavy metals, and to ensure that the herbs picked are the ones that they say they are. Self-checking via assay tests provide authenticity that the herbs picked are authentic. This insures uncompromising purity of the product. They do this because of the companies that sell adulterated products were ruining it for the companies that are trying to produce a superior product. The herbal profession is now using a self-checking process to verify and preserve the use of herbs, in safe practices. In an age of doctors and patients demanding alternatives for their problems, Chinese herbs can be one piece of the puzzle. I’ve seen huge strides with herbs in people with stress and anxiety. I’ve seen others use it along with psychotherapy, and a mindful practice. If you’re not convinced, and are not willing to try herbs, it is better to utilize the other services of an acupuncturist. understand that you can still get good benefit from acupuncture and vitamins. Chinese herbs help push the body to heal itself rather quickly. Some medications will make it impossible
to use herbs and a good herbalist will know these. The Cleveland clinic has been operating a full herbal dispensary dedicated solely to Chinese herbs in their hospital. So slowly, it is becoming more and more understood by the consumer in the demand for more natural approaches.
4. Acupuncture for anxiety- Tip # 4 Do a mindful practice daily: Acupuncture is known for putting your body into a state of deep relaxation. Utilizing a breathing routine, a meditation CD, affiliations or just sitting quietly and practicing mindfulness will help you relax better. It doesn’t have to be a herculean effort, but it should be started. It will only enhance your acupuncture experience which will then spur you to do more with breathing. Even ten minutes a day, is enough to get you started on a new level of calm that lasts with you throughout the day. I definitely recommend using a guided meditation to help you get started, directed, and motivated. It is as easy as flicking a switch on your MP-3 or computer. 5 to 10 minutes gives a huge boost to endorphins. So don’t think you have to do a lot to see results. Consistency always beats haphazard attempts so consider making a practice of this.
5. Acupuncture for anxiety- Tip #5 Stretch those tight muscles: Stretching out your shoulders, your hamstrings and lower back, is a quick way to bring instant calm to your body. Learn how to take 5 minutes to stretch out your muscles during the day or at night help to relax you mentally. Most all of us are holding silent tightness in their muscles. Relaxing the physical tension in your body, will start to help re-establish calm in your life. This is where the physical can affect the mental. Feel more relaxed Instead of plopping down in front of the TV. Use the commercials to stretch out your muscles. Focus on the tightest muscles such as your neck, traps, buttocks and hamstrings.
If you are looking to invest in using acupuncture for anxiety, or you are already using acupuncture for anxiety, utilizing these 5 tips to make your treatments successful. Start slow, be consistent, but do something. No one ever got to where they wanted by standing still, no matter how long the journey has been.
Are you looking for more help? If you’d like to comment about Acupuncture for Anxiety – 5 Tips to make you Anxiety treatments successful, you can contact me below, or if you have a specific question, you can call my office at 201-444-7150, or email me at integativeacupuncturecenter@gmail.com. I am never to busy to help you!