Oct 3, 2013 3 min read

We all live with stress. It’s how well we manage it that matters most. To help yourself cope, perhaps you’ve tried exercise, yoga, meditation or changing your diet. But have you ever considered acupuncture?

Acupuncture is a type of traditional Chinese medicine based on the premise that health and well-being depend on the strength, vitality and free-flowing of qi. Qi is vital energy that moves throughout the body. It flows along well-documented paths or meridians and health concerns and pain arise when blockages or imbalances occur. The body’s organs play a critical role in ensuring that the qi is properly distributed, and they are the first things affected when stress causes fluctuations.

Acupuncture helps your body handle stress better by correcting imbalances and enabling qi to flow smoothly. Treatments can provide numerous physical and emotional benefits. These benefits include lower blood pressure, improved sleeping habits, a more efficient immune system, and an overall sense of improved health.

Acupuncture also provides a strong calming effect throughout your body. This can make any stressors you experience more manageable. Acupuncture can also relieve painful symptoms such as headaches, digestive problems, and tension in your back, neck, or shoulders.

A host of studies conducted in the past two decades have repeatedly validated the safety and effectiveness of acupuncture. Additionally, the World Health Organization recognizes at least 40 conditions that can be improved by acupuncture. In London and Seoul, some recent study results have suggested that acupuncture has a therapeutic effect on chronic stress in particular.

Depending on your levels of stress or anxiety, weekly or bi-weekly treatments are a good starting point. After a few months, treatments every four weeks should be sufficient. From there, you can stretch your treatments to every other month. As acupuncture is minimally invasive, you can continue treatments for as long as you need.

At your first appointment, your acupuncturist will discuss your family health history in depth to get a full understanding of the issues you may be confronting. He or she will also educate you about acupuncture and answer any questions you may have.

Depending on your individual needs, acupuncture treatments involve inserting anywhere from 12 to 40 hair-thin needles into specific points on your body. You may feel a pinprick or a warm, traveling sensation as channels open. However, treatments are not painful.

Your sessions will probably last between 20 and 45 minutes, and following them, you should be sure to drink extra water. This will help you continue to flush out the toxins released during treatments. And remember, every person’s reaction to treatment is different. Some people feel energized while others feel relaxed. Every person should feel better overall.

Acupuncture is not a miracle cure-all, but it can certainly help you effectively manage stress. Try it in conjunction with other healthy, stress-reducing practices. If you consistently exercise, maintain a healthy diet, build a good support system, and receive acupuncture treatments, you’ll feel the difference.

Melissa Murtha earned a Master of Science degree from the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in Chicago and is licensed by the Pennsylvania Medical Board as well as certified by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. She is an acupuncturist at Spa Harmony in the Washington Health System Wilfred R. Cameron Wellness Center. For more information, visit www.spaharmony.org.