Acupuncture is an old Chinese tradition this goes under the alternative medicine category. This method of relieving pain, stress, illnesses and diseases has been used on people for thousands of years. It has also been used to promote good health, blood flow and apply relaxation in the body. Acupuncture has been used to treat stress because stress is something many people feel at some point in their life. Finances, jobs, relationships, tasks and chores can sometimes seem too much for some people to handle.

The benefits of acupuncture for stress are worth a little poking and prodding. Some people are not fond of needles, but this method of alternative medicine is done by professionals. There are specific pressure points on the body that hit the exact nerves to relieve pain, tightness and stress. Everybody’s body is different and of course everybody reacts differently to medications and treatments. Many women undergo acupuncture therapy while they are on fertility treatments. Stress levels, anxiety and pressure to conceive a child can take its toll on couples. Not only is it used on women trying to conceive, but many people who suffer from back injuries from falls and through work use acupuncture. Acupuncture needles hit the precise pressure point that will increase blood flow and relieve pain. It not only has great physical rewards, but psychological benefits as well. The mind feels the ease and calmness in the body after an acupuncture session. There are visible symptoms of stress, and it is important to know what they are. People who are under stress begin to make bad choices, suffer from memory loss, have mood swings, and feel lonely and depressed. They also begin to have a bad diet which can cause pain and increase illnesses in the body.

They begin to get sick because their immune system is weak from all the constant worrying and lack of a healthy lifestyle. Some people under stress begin a road of bad habits like drinking alcohol, using drugs and smoking cigarettes. There is good stress that can help people stay on their toes and complete hard tasks, but there is also bad stress. This kind of stress can cause physical and psychological harm to any person. It is unhealthy and needs to be treated soon. Everybody can use a little bit of stress relief to relax their minds and body. Depression is very real and stress is the beginning of it. There are many ways to reduce stress, and acupuncture is one of them. Along with this proven method, exercise, yoga, a good diet, support and some quiet time are other good ways in relieving stress. People get frustrated over school, work, family and other curve balls life might throw at them, but it is crucial to stay calm and to get treatment if necessary.

Bad stress can cause high blood pressure, heart disease, nervous breakdowns and other harmful effects to the body. Stress management is important to implement when a person is under pressure. People are bound to feel stress at some time in their life, but it is how they deal with it that will determine how it will affect their lives. Depression can occur if stress gets to be too much for people who can’t handle it. Acupuncture is a great way of relieving stress because it relaxes the muscles in the body and causes a mental feel of tranquility. The benefits of acupuncture not only relieve stress but many other things as well. This is scientifically proven and a method used by professionals to help their patients with any of their health problems.

With the stressful lifestyle we have today, anxiety conditions are very common among people. Stress at workplace, peers and at home can lead to problems of anxiety. Anxiety is defined as a continuous state of fear related to a situation or to an object. This overwhelming feeling of anxiety can lead to social and mental impairment that can impose negative effect on a person’s health and well-being. Acupuncture for anxiety is known to be an effective and a safe method of relieving pain caused by stress. This is a technique use to alleviate stress in the body. And it is highly recommended as an alternative in the medicine field.

Acupuncture for anxiety involves placing needles in certain body points. These body points or pressure points can be located at specific parts all over a person’s body. By accessing them, it allows the blocked energy from the passageways to open up. If these passageways are blocked, other parts of the body may be affected as well that causes stress. Stress on the other hand, attacks the body that causes muscles to tense up, blood pressure to rise and other physical symptoms can arise.

Using acupuncture for anxiety is proven to be working for many. According to research, acupuncture alleviates stress points that relax the body. Some of the benefits of using acupuncture as a therapy are as follows:

• For Stress – It address the imbalances in the body. It also prevents the diseases that may arise caused by anxiety and stress. In addition, it seeks to balance both mental and physical attributes of a person aiding them for an easy-going life.

• To Your Anxiety Attacks – This aims to treat physical health problems cause by anxiety attacks such as chest pain, shortness of breath, increased heart rate, nausea, and headache.

• As an anxiety treatment – It heals the imbalances of the heart and the kidney. It aims to harmonize the imbalances in the body and soothe the excessive heat in the heart.

• Depression Therapy – Acupuncture treats constant exhaustion and lack of energy in a person’s body. It targets the heart and the spleen that believed to be the primary source of energy in the body.

The advantage of acupuncture for anxiety is that when it works, it works immediately. It can immediately help the patient to feel better compared to pharmaceutical interventions that takes hours or days to relieve anxiety or months in cases of depression. Another advantage of this method is that it never causes side effects. It works immediately and never creates dependency with patients.

So what benefits can I expect from acupuncture?

There is evidence to show that acupuncture can be an effective treatment for many types of pain, including pain in the buttock and lower back, which is my main concern. However, I am not surprised to learn that there are growing numbers of people in north America who are turning to acupuncture for the relief of not only chronic pain but also such troubling ailments as anxiety, depression, allergies, neck disorders, headaches, and even to overcome infertility. And apparently it works.

Acute pain is exceedingly stressful and affects the mind as well as its specific place of origin or source. There are situations in which conventional treatments may not have been successful and while acupuncture may not succeed either, the additional avenue of treatment does offer hope to those in distress, especially to those who have a positive outlook and confidence of its effectiveness. Data from four clinical trials that were analysed in a 2007 study relating to pain and acupuncture treatment, showed that those with positive expectations reported significantly greater pain relief.

Side effects

Few side effects have been reported. Acupuncture is safe and there should be no side effects when properly administered by a qualified professional practitioner. The profession’s rules of procedure state that the acupuncturist must be on guard to perform in a sterile treatment environment at all times in order to avoid the most likely possible cause of any infection.

Qualifications

Acupuncture practitioners have to be licensed but in the United States requirements vary from state to state. A Master of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (M.A.O.M.) degree, or its equivalent, issued by an accredited institution is required in most states although in others there are different approved qualifications that uphold the standards required to a similar level. A Licensed Acupuncturist (L.Ac.), usually receives from 2500 to 4000 hours of training and theory on Chinese medicine, acupuncture, and biological science.

Medicare does not cover acupuncture

That means that unless they are covered in some other health plan or medical insurance, patients seeking acupuncture will have to pay for treatment themselves.

Cost of acupuncture

Cost and duration of treatments is something to enquire about and discuss early on, maybe during the first contact conversation, perhaps by phone. To determine whether or not the treatment with acupuncture is successful, may require several weeks or more and by most people’s standards it’s not cheap, especially for those on fixed incomes and the elderly, many of whom are looking for the relief of arthritic pain.

In the east of the U.S., rates typically range from about $60 to $120 per hour and most often require at least three weekly treatments, although some chronic problems may require biweekly or monthly sessions, depending on the situation. The first assessment session would probably take longer, perhaps an hour, with follow up visits taking less time, perhaps 30 to 40 minutes or so. That is what to discuss early on.