Stress affects everyone, regardless of age, social status, or personality. People also deal with stress differently. Some people eat less, while others eat more. Other people experience fatigue, while others have difficulties sleeping or concentrating at work. Stress, anxiety, or depression can significantly affect you and everyone in your life. Fortunately, you can manage it with medication or non-medical treatments like acupuncture.

Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese treatment approach that is gaining popularity in the modern world today. It can treat and manage various disorders, including stress and related ailments. However, you need to identify skilled and experienced Los Angeles acupuncturists to enjoy all the benefits of acupuncture. This treatment is highly recommended because it is safe, effective, and less expensive. It also results in long-term benefits. Speak to an expert acupuncturist at Art of Chinese Healing to learn more about acupuncture and how beneficial it can be for you if you are battling stress, anxiety, or depression.

The Research Behind Acupuncture for Stress, Depression, and Anxiety

Everyone experiences stress at some point in their life. The cause of stress differs from one person to another. Some people suffer from stress, depression, and anxiety due to traumatic life events. For example, after losing a loved one or undergoing a significant change in life, like abuse or a divorce, a person could experience difficulties managing their feelings and emotions. This could cause stress and later develop into depression. People who have a history of mental illness are more likely to become stressed, anxious, or depressed. You could also be at a higher risk of these conditions if you have a blood relative with a history of anxiety or depression.

Some personality traits, like pessimism, low self-esteem, or being overly dependent on others, can increase your risk of stress and related conditions. This risk also increases if you take certain medications, like sleeping pills or blood pressure medications. Research shows that people who use, abuse, or are addicted to alcohol and other substances are at risk of stress, anxiety, and depression. This also includes people battling severe chronic conditions like stroke, cancer, and heart disease. This puts almost everyone at risk of stress, depression, and anxiety.

Several studies have been conducted to determine the best medication for stress, depression, and anxiety. Although there is and has always been modern medicine for these illnesses and related conditions, people still need safer, better, and more effective treatments. Acupuncture has been selected as an effective alternative to manage stress-related conditions for all people, regardless of their age. This is because it is safe and produces long-term results. Instead of relying on medications that have adverse side effects, a safer alternative, like acupuncture, takes care of the causes of stress, helping you to remain stress-free for a very long time.

Experts have conducted several studies to determine the safety and effectiveness of acupuncture in managing stress, anxiety, and depression. Most of these studies focus on pressure points and how they can be triggered to reduce anxiety and stress. For example, a review conducted in 2023 examined the effects of alternative treatments like acupuncture on stress relief before a medical procedure is performed on a patient. The review showed that acupressure is very effective in preoperative anxiety relief. Another study that was conducted on cancer patients in 2024 revealed that acupressure helped to manage cancer-induced fatigue.

More extensive studies are required to determine how acupuncturists can trigger pressure points to manage stress and anxiety. However, a few existing studies have positively confirmed that stimulating some pressure points in the human body can help reduce stress and anxiety, especially when combined with modern medication. Experts also confirmed a few adverse side effects for those who tried acupuncture. This makes it an approach to try if you or someone you love is battling stress, depression, or anxiety. You can combine this therapy with other treatments and therapies your doctor recommends for better results.

Benefits of Acupuncture for Depression, Anxiety, and Stress

Acupuncture helps treat a wide range of complaints, including pain and anxiety. Although the exact way it works remains a mystery, experts believe it works through neurological effects or by balancing vital energy. Its benefits are the reason why acupuncture is becoming very popular today, even in the presence of highly effective modern medication.

One of the most incredible benefits of alternative medicine, like acupuncture, is its safety. This treatment works when an expert triggers some key points in the human body to stimulate the body’s natural healing abilities. It does not involve ingesting medications that are sometimes harmful or have adverse side effects. The thin needles used in acupuncture do not cause any harm to the physical or emotional well-being of a patient. Thus, you are assured of its safety as you sit through sessions to manage your stress, anxiety, or depression.

Acupuncture services are also easily accessible today. Many people have acquired training and experience in alternative medicine to help people battling severe conditions like depression, stress, and other medical conditions. You can easily find an expert acupuncturist near you through a quick online search. However, you must conduct a background check to ensure they have the proper training. Check their reviews and ensure they understand your needs before committing to their service.

Acupuncture is a highly effective way of treating common medical conditions and disorders. The human body has a natural healing ability that sometimes needs to be triggered for natural healing. Your lifestyle or other medications sometimes hinder this ability. When your body’s natural healing abilities are triggered, you can enjoy excellent relief from what has been ailing you. The healing benefits last long because the triggered healing abilities remain active for years. Thus, you do not need prolonged treatment to keep stress and anxiety at bay.

Acupuncture is also very affordable. When compared to some stress, depression, or anxiety medications, alternative treatment is cost-effective. If a doctor puts you on stress-management treatment, you could need to continue medicines for a long time. Some people have been on depression medication for years. Sometimes, the symptoms return immediately after you stop medication. This differs from acupuncture since you only need a few sessions with an acupuncturist to obtain relief for several years.

Additionally, you can combine acupuncture with stress medication and therapy for better results. Acupuncturists recommend going on with the treatments recommended by your therapist or doctor as you receive acupuncture treatment for more effective relief.

The Treatment Process

Stress manifests itself in different ways for different people. There are also various ways to deal with it. However, the body and mind are intricately related, and one problem affects the other. When dealing with stress, medical practitioners and alternative medicine experts focus on its underlying cause. In Chinese traditional medicine, particularly acupuncture, every organ in the human body has its unique function and form. And each organ is associated with a particular spirit, disease pattern, and emotion. The disease patterns determine a person’s likelihood of developing a specific condition or tendency.

For example, your spleen is typically a part of the digestive system. However, it is associated with pensiveness, worry, and a spirit of thought. When your spleen becomes unhealthy or weak, you will feel a general heaviness, which leads to bloating, fullness, fatigue, sluggishness, and tiredness. The spirit of worry and pensiveness associated with the spleen will cause you to overthink, increasing your risk of stress and related conditions. Thus, an acupuncturist will consider this information when developing a treatment plan for your stress, anxiety, or depression.

The treatment process during acupuncture entails using small and thin needles on the human skin to trigger some pressure points, which in turn triggers the body’s natural healing abilities. Through training and experience, an acupuncturist can quickly and correctly identify the right pressure points to trigger for stress management and anxiety relief. They could start by identifying the cause of your stress and then develop a treatment plan that will result in absolute relief from the underlying cause of the symptoms. Thus, it is advisable to disclose to your therapist when you start experiencing your symptoms, the treatments you have received, and how it has been since you started treatment.

Acupuncturists use various techniques to help their patients manage depression, anxiety, and stress. Some of the standard methods include the following:

Triggering Neurotransmitter Levels

Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that deliver messages between nerve cells and the human brain. They affect your emotions, memories, thoughts, movements, sleep patterns, and brain function. You can regulate your neurotransmitter levels in the CNS through acupuncture to ensure proper function. At their correct levels, these chemical messengers regulate the production of noradrenaline and serotonin (a hormone that affects your mood).

Regulating HPA Axis

The HPA axis is a neuroendocrine network that enables the body to naturally manage stress and respond well to external and internal challenges. The network comprises adrenaline, pituitary, and hypothalamus glands, which work collectively to release hormones to the blood when responding to the stimulation of the nervous system. Acupuncturists use their healing technique to regulate the axis to help you cope with stress and regulate your mood.

Releasing Endorphin

Acupuncturists can also trigger the release of endorphin into the bloodstream, a hormone that reduces pain and increases blood circulation and the circulation of lymphatic fluid. By blocking pain signals, endorphins help you cope with stressful situations. They also improve your mood and boost your general well-being.

Reducing Cortisol

Cortisol is the human body’s primary stress hormone. It is the cause of your endless worry, anxiety, and depression. When your body encounters stressful internal or external conditions, the production of cortisol increases. A continuous overproduction of cortisol can result in an unhealthy increase in heart rate and blood pressure. Acupuncturists use their treatments to reduce the production of cortisol to help you cope better with stress.

Thus, acupuncture can help with the treatment of depression, post-stroke stress, postpartum depression, and stress or anxiety related to pain. It is a practical treatment approach, especially when combined with stress medication, like antidepressants, because it can reduce their side effects and promote quicker results.

Possible Side Effects of Acupuncture

Before committing yourself to acupuncture, it helps to take time to learn all there is about this traditional Chinese technique. In addition to learning about its benefits and how acupuncturists help manage stress, anxiety, and depression, learn about possible side effects. This will prepare you for any eventuality and help you manage the side effects better.

After all treatment sessions, people who have undergone this kind of treatment have complained of discomfort, pain, and soreness. Remember that acupuncturists use thin and tiny needles, which they insert at specific locations on your skin. Thus, you will likely feel pain, discomfort, and soreness at the needle insertion points after every treatment session. Fortunately, these points heal after a few days. However, you should seek medical treatment if you still experience pain or soreness after several days or a week. Also, contact your acupuncturists if you notice blood or pus coming from the treatment sites.

You could also notice bruising at the treatment site after a treatment session. Although bruises are usually very mild, you should be concerned if they do not heal after a few days. The bruising can become infected if exposed to harmful external elements. Thus, you need tips from your acupuncturist on cleaning and caring for these bruises for quicker and more effective healing.

Other serious side effects that have been reported after acupuncture include fatigue, nausea and vomiting, dizziness, and feeling faint. Although these are rare side effects, you could experience them. You should speak to your acupuncturists if you feel sick after a treatment session. If the symptoms persist, a change to your treatment plan could be necessary.

Generally, acupuncture is a safe treatment because it does not involve surgery or modern medicine. Most side effects last a few hours or a couple of days. However, if you suffer an allergic reaction, an infection, or diverse side effects, you should seek treatment immediately after noticing the signs.

Who Can Benefit from Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is a safe treatment, and it is recommended for all people. If you have been diagnosed with anxiety, stress, or depression, you can see an acupuncturist. They will recommend a proper treatment strategy that could help you better manage your condition with the treatment and therapy you receive from your regular doctor. You can also talk to an acupuncturist if you feel unhappy or overwhelmed with emotions. An acupuncturist can evaluate and recommend the best treatment strategy for your condition.

If you have been on stress or depression medication for years without relief, you could combine your treatment with acupuncture for more effective and lasting results. Remember that this treatment works well when combined with modern medicine. Although there is no evidence that acupuncture will offer you long-term relief from anxiety or stress, it can ease your symptoms and improve your overall well-being.

However, you must know your symptoms to seek practical help from an acupuncturist. The professional will rely on your information to develop an effective treatment for you. You should also be willing to share your treatment history and ready to stick to the treatment program for effective results. Here are some of the indications of stress, anxiety, or depression that should compel you to see a therapist:

  • A feeling of depression, whereby you experience feelings of loss, anger, and sadness, which generally affect your everyday activities

  • Harboring suicidal thoughts, or thoughts of hopelessness or unworthiness

  • Panic attacks cause you to experience a sudden overwhelming dread or fear without an apparent cause. A physical symptom like sweating, breathing difficulties, or a racing heart can accompany this feeling.

  • Difficulties falling asleep, mainly because you are overwhelmed with thoughts or emotions

  • Digestive issues, since anxiety, are often associated with irritable bowel syndrome.

Since these symptoms vary from one person to another, acupuncturists must tailor a patient’s treatment according to their symptoms, the underlying cause of their stress or anxiety, and the expected results. You should experience some relief after a few sessions with your therapist. If this does not happen, talk to them about changing your treatment program.

Find a Skilled Alternative Treatment Expert Near Me

Stress, anxiety, and depression are prevalent these days, affecting people of all ages, including teenagers and older adults. Doctors use stress and anxiety medications, like antidepressants, to encourage relief from some of the overwhelming symptoms. You can combine modern stress medication and therapy with alternative treatments like acupuncture for more effective results. All you need is to speak to an acupuncturist about your symptoms and the cause of your stress, anxiety, or depression. Then, they can develop a proper treatment program for you.

At Art of Chinese Healing, we offer acupuncture in addition to your regular medication and therapy. Our treatment programs are tailor-made according to individual needs. We also provide after-treatment care to ensure you enjoy pleasant results after every treatment session. Call us at 310-405-1610 to learn more about acupuncture in Los Angeles and how it can benefit you.