Acupuncture for Anxiety. Get Rid of the Restlessness for Good.

Picture this situation: you are on your way to a very important interview, one of those life-changing, once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, and your nerves are firing. You know you are prepared, you know you have what it takes. However, this restlessness never seems to resolve. Then you suddenly remember you had read this very article about Acupuncture for anxiety. Ipso facto you start massaging a few points in your wrist and your head. All of a sudden you feel calmer, more in control of yourself, and prepared to launch yourself out there.

How cool does that sound? Wouldn’t it be great to have that piece of knowledge on the back of your mind, ready to use whenever necessary?

If so, then keep reading because you are about to learn some cool Acupuncture points for anxiety that will help you.

What is Anxiety?

The first thing you must have to understand is that anxiety is just another emotion. Nowadays, anxiety is given a bad reputation and for some, it feels almost incapacitating. We must then understand what anxiety is and how to deal with it.

Now, onto the nerdy stuff:

According to the medical literature, anxiety is an emotion characterized by feelings of dread and fear that are accompanied by somatic symptoms and signs like an accelerated heart rate, shallow breathing, an overall feeling of restlessness, and increased alertness.

Anxiety is an adaptative response to a situation perceived as stressful. When it becomes constant, you can start to talk about a disorder. Just like stress, a little bit now and then is just the sign of a healthy and resilient mind, much of it is damaging.

How TCM looks at anxiety

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, anxiety is seen as one of the Internal Pathogenic Factors along with Elation, Sadness, Grief, Fear, Fright, and Anger. Some textbooks place it as similar to Worry. In this context, Anxiety damages the Spleen the most but also hurts the Lungs, and of course all the other networks.

Also, anxiety is a clinical manifestation of many entities like Blood Deficiency, Blood stagnation, disturbances of the Shen, and so on.

Just like in Western medicine, it is not anxiety that is hurtful but rather the excessive anxiety the one that wreaks havoc on you.

Luckily for all of us, Traditional Chinese Medicine is widely known for having a huge impact on issues like anxiety, especially using Acupuncture.

Acupuncture for Anxiety. Really?

Yes indeed. Acupuncture for Anxiety is perhaps one of the most popular treatments people seek in TCM clinics.

One of the many effects people claim after having an Acupuncture session is a heightened relaxation that sometimes makes them feel like floating. This can be explained by the release of endorphins (your inner feel-good hormones) in your body, which is one of the many Western theories about the mechanism of acupuncture.

While some level of relaxation is a regular effect of Acupuncture, there are specific Acupuncture points for anxiety which we are going to cover right away.

A First-Hand Experience

I was studying in my room when I was called to the living room one night. The issue? My neighbor from across the street was feeling her chest tight, she couldn’t stay still, she was shaking, and she had high blood pressure. Turn out she had had an argument and it seems that it affected her. At that time I had not started to study TCM seriously so I lacked knowledge.

However, there was one thing I knew for sure, something my Qi Gong professor had told me: ‘When it comes to emotional issues you must treat the Pericardium because it is the guardian of the Heart’.

I began to massage the Pericardium 6 point on her wrists, pressing them firmly for 30 seconds to a minute. Then the magic happened.

She started to feel better almost instantly, her shaking was diminishing every second that passed and she was able to speak more freely without feeling the knot in her chest. After about five sessions, she was as good as new.

That was one of the many times TCM has left me amazed at its effectiveness.

You can also learn how to do this and help solve that nasty anxiety that bothers you just using your fingers. Check Below!

Acupuncture For Anxiety: Acupuncture Points for Anxiety

Here is a list of Acupuncture points for Anxiety you can use whenever you feel agitated or anxious. These points will balance Blood, Qi, and Shen, promoting calmness and relaxation. Here they are:

1. Yintang: Located between the eyebrows, this point is often referred to as the “third eye” and is used to calm the mind.
2. Heart 7 (Shenmen): This point is found on the wrist crease, on the anterior ulnar side of the forearm. In a depression between the ulna and the bones of the wrist. This point calms the Mind and promotes relaxation.
3. Pericardium 6 (Neiguan): Located on the forearm, 2 cun above the anterior wrist crease between the tendons. You know you are on the spot if you press the point and your fingers flex. This is one of the most important points in Acupuncture as its name suggests Neiguan (Inner gate) is one of the points in charge of the inner landscape.
4. Lung 9 (Taiyuan): Located on the forearm as well, on the wrist crease in the depression between the radius and the first metacarpal bone (the one of your thumb).
5. Spleen 6 (Sanyinjiao): Situated on the leg, 3 cun above the tip of the inner ankle, behind the tibia, this point is used to nourish the blood and calm the spirit.
6. Kidney 3 (Taixi): Located on the inner leg, midway between the tip of the inner ankle and the Achilles tendon, this point supports kidney health and can help with feelings of fear and anxiety.
7. Du Mai 20 (Governor Vessel 20/Baihui): Situated at the top of the head, in the intersection of lines drawn from the tip of the ears and the midline, this point promotes relaxation and uplifts the spirit.
8. Sishencong: These are 4 external points located 1 cun anterior, posterior, and to both sides of DU 20 (Baihui). They also help relax and promote mental clarity. Highly used in Tuina massage.

The combination of Heart 7 (Shenmen), Pericardium 6 (Neiguan), and Lung 9 (Taiyuan) is called the ‘Buddha Triangle’ and is highly effective at relaxing your body and mind, promoting calmness, and treating anxiety.

Ear Acupuncture

• Shenmen point
• Heart Point

These two Ear Acupuncture points are highly used because of their usefulness in dealing with issues like insomnia and restlessness. Shenmen is located on the tip of the triangular fossa and is used to help in pain management as it is a powerful analgesic point like Pc-6 (Neiguan). The Heart point is located deeper inside the concha of the ear and helps promote Heart health which includes dealing with anxiety, insomnia, and others.

Further Care

While Acupuncture is a highly effective treatment method, I advocate for a multifaceted approach to health. That’s why I’ll leave you here some more tips you can follow to better deal with anxiety.

• Good quality Sleep: Sleep is the cornerstone of wellness. Just one night of poor sleep and you can ruin the whole week, not joking. During sleep your body recovers, repairs, and your mind starts decluttering. Getting regular good quality sleep should be your number one priority. When you sleep well and your mind has cleared itself, you can start the day fresh and ready to tackle it, yet if your sleep is not good then your mind has to deal with both yesterday’s unfinished business and today’s issues at the same time. Hence the need for good sleep. Invest in new mattresses, better sheets, and so on to ensure the best sleep possible.
• Meditation: Many people know meditation is good but very few people practice it. Meditation has been shown to promote neural plasticity which then leads to better mental resiliency. If you develop a meditation habit, you will find that it serves as a mental offload where you dump everything in your mind and start analyzing your thoughts. Over time you will learn to understand yourself and will be better armed to deal with life’s issues. Here is a great TED talk about meditation.
• Herbal therapy: Chamomile tea, Ashwagandha, linden tea, and dark chocolate can help with mental health boosting your mood and calming your mind. Give them a try when you feel you need them. Don’t use them constantly.

Have questions? I have answers, leave a comment below and I’ll help you.

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See ya!